Vinicius Jr Promises Goals Ahead of Madrid Derby

The goals aren’t flowing, the criticism is bubbling, and the derby is looming. Vinicius Junior has chosen this exact moment to raise his voice.

Days before Real Madrid walk into the Metropolitano for the capital’s first league showdown of the season against Atletico Madrid, the Brazilian forward has delivered a blunt message: the drought won’t last.

Wasteful in Elche, ruthless in intent

Against Elche in the sixth round of La Liga, Vinicius played with his usual electricity but left the pitch with nothing to show for it. No goal, no assist, only a trail of missed chances and a lingering sense of frustration.

Real Madrid eventually scraped a 3-2 win, rescued at the death by a 90+1 minute strike from Carlos Espi. By then, Vinicius was already on the bench, substituted by Jose Mourinho in the 68th minute after an evening in which the ball simply refused to obey him.

He had found the right positions. He had burned past defenders. He had seen openings. The finish deserted him.

The reaction came not in front of the cameras, but on his phone.

“My goals will return soon”

On his Instagram Story, the Brazilian cut straight to the point: “My goals will return soon, I cannot keep wasting all these chances! On Sunday more is coming, Hala Madrid”.

No excuses. No hiding behind the performance of the team or the drama of a late winner. Just a public admission that he has been wasteful and a promise that it will change – with Atletico Madrid directly in his sights.

It is more than a motivational slogan. For a player who thrives on emotion and rhythm, it reads like a personal challenge laid down in front of the entire city.

Derby stage set at the Metropolitano

Real Madrid head across town to the Metropolitano on Sunday evening for the seventh round of the Spanish league, walking into one of the most hostile environments they will face all season. The margins in this fixture are always thin. One duel won. One run timed right. One finish.

Against Elche, Vinicius settled for being the spark without being the finisher, stretching the defence, creating lanes, driving the attack but never landing the decisive blow. That role won’t satisfy him in a derby that so often forges reputations and defines weeks of narrative in Madrid.

He has now circled this game in red. His message leaves little room for interpretation: the missed chances against Elche are the prelude, not the pattern.

The Brazilian has thrown down a promise before one of the fiercest fixtures of Real Madrid’s season. On Sunday night at the Metropolitano, the scoreboard will reveal whether it was just defiance in words or the start of a new streak in front of goal.