Xabi Alonso Responds to Vinicius Jr’s Angry Reaction to Substitution vs Barcelona

 Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has responded calmly to Vinicius Jr’s angry reaction after being substituted during his side’s 2-1 victory over Barcelona in a heated El Clasico encounter. The Brazilian winger, who had been lively on the left flank, was withdrawn in the 72nd minute and replaced by his compatriot Rodrygo Goes a decision that visibly infuriated him.

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The match itself was full of intensity and drama. Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring for Real Madrid after his first effort was ruled out for offside, before Jude Bellingham added a second. Barcelona briefly drew level through Marcus Rashford and Fermin Lopez’s combination, but Alonso’s men held firm to secure three crucial points.

However, much of the post-match attention shifted to Vinicius Jr’s outburst. Cameras captured the 25-year-old angrily gesturing toward Alonso when his number appeared on the substitution board, repeatedly shouting “Me?” in disbelief. He reluctantly greeted Rodrygo before heading straight down the tunnel, though he later returned to the bench. According to Marca, Vinicius also made direct eye contact with Alonso in protest.

When asked about the episode after the game, Alonso refused to criticize his star player, instead choosing to emphasize team unity and focus. “I don’t want to lose focus on what’s important,” he said. “These are things we will talk about privately. Vini played a great game and contributed a lot. This was a deserved victory that shows our competitiveness in big matches.

The incident adds further intrigue to Real Madrid’s season as Alonso manages both strong performances and strong personalities within his squad.