Vinícius Jr. scores, earns Alonso praise in return to lineup

MADRID — Xabi Alonso praised Vinícius Júnior’s performance after the Real Madrid forward celebrated his return to the team by scoring in a 2-1 win over Mallorca on Saturday.

Madrid went behind to Vedat Muriqi’s early header at the Santiago Bernabéu, before two goals in a minute from Arda Güler and Vinícius turned the game around.

It was a second goal in two games for Vinícius — who scored off the bench at Real Oviedo last weekend — and ensured Madrid go into the international break with three wins out of three in LaLiga.

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“[Vinícius] performed well,” Alonso said in his post-match news conference. “It was a better game for him than against Osasuna [on Aug. 19] and it was an important goal to put us in front … I’m happy with Vini’s game, he’s scoring goals and that’s important.”

Madrid had three goals disallowed by VAR against Mallorca — two for Kylian Mbappé, ruled out for offside, and one for Güler for an involuntary handball.

Vinícius Júnior scored Real Madrid’s decisive goal in their win over Mallorca. Dennis Agyeman/Europa Press via Getty Images

“The fourth official said the handball had to be ‘immediate’ [to be disallowed] and after that then it depends on the referee’s interpretation,” Alonso said. “It would have been important to get the third goal. It’s his interpretation, that’s his role.”

Alonso said he was happy with his team’s trajectory so far this campaign, with their three victories going into the break coming after a curtailed pre-season.

“I’d like to keep going, and have the players here,” Alonso said. “But we knew in these three games, after a mini preseason, it was important to compete, to keep improving things, defining the path we want.

“Now we have the break and then the next block of games, including the Champions League. But the start has been good. There are some good things, and some things to correct.”

Madrid are next in action on Sept. 13, when they travel to Real Sociedad.