For some time now, the Madrid media have agreed to define Mbappé as "the best footballer in the world."
Mbappé is on the rise and Vinícius is on the decline
This has been the case since Mbappé has regained his goal-scoring instinct and is starting to show his best qualities.
For some time now, too, Vinícius has alarmingly decreased his performance at Real Madrid.
Vinícius served a two-match suspension, and Real Madrid won 0-3 in Valladolid and 0-3 in Brest. He played in Cornellà and Real Madrid lost. Vinícius was far from his best version.
Apathetic when he didn't have the ball, he appeared predictable with the ball at his feet and scattered at the end. More focused on complaining to the referee than on preventing his team's defeat.
The debate is already open in the capital of Spain. Mbappé has reached his best level without Vinícius by his side. Meanwhile, the Brazilian, except for occasional flashes, doesn't feel comfortable with the Frenchman.
The worst striker of Real Madrid against Espanyol
Hasn't Ancelotti solved the problem that arose at the beginning of the season yet? The truth is that it doesn't have an easy solution. Both players want to play on the left.
Ancelotti hasn't managed to achieve the white smoke, despite having devised a system that allows both to sneak in there.
In Cornellà, a motivation problem on Vinícius's part was evident. Five shots and none of the five hit the target. His dribbles didn't work, he wasn't fortunate in passing, and he didn't contribute to defensive tasks either.
The newspaper Sport reports today that Vinícius was the worst striker of Real Madrid against Espanyol. He created 3 shooting opportunities, compared to 5 by Mbappé and 7 by Rodrygo. He drove the ball in the area 39 times, like Mbappé, compared to 47 by Rodrygo.
He attempted one-on-one dribbles 5 times and succeeded only once. Mbappé attempted 3 and won 2. Rodrygo succeeded in all 4 one-on-ones he attempted.
Is the path being prepared to move to Arabia?
Vinícius isn't experiencing a happy moment in his game, and he knows it. He communicated this to his friend Rodrygo when leaving the field in Cornellà: "I'm not at my best."
Just days before the decisive Champions League clash against Manchester City, Ancelotti needs to recover the best version of the Brazilian.
In the Madrid environment, there are those who claim that Vinícius is sending signals to be transferred to Arabia. However, those who know him well know that his desire is to continue playing at Real Madrid for many more years.
We will soon find out, although it seems evident that this Vinícius isn't the one who won The Best and came close to the Ballon d'Or.