Mbappe wins his battle against Vinicius

Since the Club World Cup defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, and the simmering flames at the Santiago Bernabéu over the reasons behind it, it has been a very difficult moment for Real Madrid, which had achieved relatively good results in the competition until then.

This was also Xabi Alonso’s first defeat since taking over at Real Madrid in early June, which undoubtedly sparked his desire to correct the situation.

One of the expected changes may be the dynamic between Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Junior, who many consider incapable of playing together in the ideal Real Madrid lineup.

Last week, the two players started as wingers on either side of Gonzalo García, Mbappé on the left and Vinicius on the right, out of his usual position. However, it turns out that he wasn’t supposed to start against Paris Saint-Germain, as Alberto Pereiro revealed on Radio Estádio (via Sport).

It appears that Vinicius was scheduled to start on the bench against Paris Saint-Germain, with Mbappé and Gonzalo up front. However, when Trent Alexander-Arnold’s injury was announced, Alonso decided to switch from a 3-5-2 to a 4-3-3, allowing the Brazilian to return to the starting lineup.

Alonso is still searching for the optimal formation.

Although he wasn’t ultimately ruled out, this could be an indication of what lies ahead for Vinicius, especially since it has been reported that Mbappé is more highly regarded than him at Real Madrid. Despite this, Alonso will look for a way to get both players to start in the same lineup and capitalize on their strengths.

It remains to be seen whether Alonso will find a solution before the beginning of August, when Real Madrid begins its abbreviated preseason.