Real Madrid’s 1-0 win over Leipzig marked a special milestone for Vinicius Junior, who reached 50 UEFA Champions League appearances. As Spanish outlet Diario As note, the Brazilian became the fifth youngest player to achieve this, behind the likes of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé.
While the Merengue No. 7 achieved it at 23 years and 216 days OLD, the Argentine did it at 23 years and 166 days, while the French attacker reached that figure at just 22 years and 339 days. Cesc Fàbregas was the second youngest to reach that number of games at 22 years and 331 days, as the record belongs to Iker Casillas, who reached 50 Champions League games at just 22 years and 155 days of age.
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Carlo Ancelotti reacts to Madrid’s hard-fought win
On Vini’s special night, Madrid only needed a goal from Brahim Diaz after 48′ to return to Spain with a 1-o aggregate lead. After the match, Carlo Ancelotti shared his thoughts: “It cost us because that’s how it is, here it is like that. It was a hard-fought match, very competitive, but the team was in it. We could have done better, I think so, but there are many positive aspects. We could have been further ahead on the scoreboard, but we could also have tied.”
🗣️ Michael Owen: “Vinicius Jr is one of the best players in the world. He’s the type of player in terms of profile that is the most desired in world football. He strikes fear into the opponents. He’s improved greatly.”
— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) February 13, 2024
“Lunin played a great game. He is a goalkeeper who is progressing because he hasn’t had many minutes. Playing is giving him confidence. The idea was to be solid in our own half, we were dangerous in transitions, it was a complete game, we are satisfied, but it’s a small advantage. It’s a small advantage, I don’t think anyone was thinking of finishing the tie here. It was a good game, a good result, but there are another 90 minutes at our stadium,” added Ancelotti.
