In La Liga’s sixth round, Real Madrid cruised to a 4-1 victory over Levante, with coach Carlo Ancelotti’s starting lineup seeing an inspired performance from Vinícius Jr., who recorded a goal and an assist. In this match, Ancelotti successfully “activated” the €170 million Brazilian star, fully harnessing his energy and dynamism.
Facing Levante, Ancelotti experimented with a new formation and tactical adjustments. Mbappé led the line, while Vinícius and Guller operated as wide attacking midfielders, and Fran García and Mastantono took up right-wing-back duties. In the wide attacking midfield role, Vinícius excelled: scoring a beautiful goal, delivering three key passes, completing 12 dribbles, making 33 touches in the attacking third, beating opponents four times, and recording four tackles.
Ancelotti deliberately disrupted Real Madrid’s usual attacking trident of Vinícius, Mbappé, and Mastantono, assigning each of them distinct roles—yet all contributed significantly. Vinícius’s expressive performance, particularly his celebratory dance after scoring, showcased his confidence and enjoyment on the pitch.
This season, Vinícius has featured in six La Liga games, contributing three goals and three assists. While his stats currently lag behind Mbappé’s six games with seven goals and one assist, the Brazilian winger is showing a return to form, with a more mature mindset. His improvement owes much to Ancelotti’s guidance and trust.
Ancelotti has set a clear structure: Mbappé remains the undisputed starting striker, while Vinícius and Rodrygo compete for the left-wing spot. In a previous match against Avilado, Vinícius unusually started on the bench but still managed to record a goal and an assist after coming on. His contract renewal concerns had briefly affected his form and mentality, but Ancelotti implemented firm management measures to help him refocus.
As a coach, Ancelotti balances encouragement and accountability. Vinícius’s occasional positional adjustments serve as constructive criticism, while strong performances earn rewards. Ahead of the Levante game, Ancelotti reassured Vinícius of his importance to the team and guaranteed him a full match. True to his word, Vinícius remained on the pitch throughout the game, even wearing the captain’s armband and assuming additional responsibility.
