Carlo Ancelotti called Vinícius Jr. “the most decisive player in the world” after the Real Madrid star scored a brace against Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Liverpool went up 2-0 early in the last-16 first leg at Anfield, but Madrid came storming back with Vinícius leading the charge.
The Brazilian scored two goals and assisted one more as Madrid put up an incredible five unanswered goals to win the match 5-2 and take a giant step toward the last eight.
Vinícius victimized Liverpool for a second straight season in the Champions League, having scored the only goal in last season’s final.
After the game, Ancelotti heaped some major praise on the 22-year-old forward.
“Vinícius is the most decisive player in the world,” the Madrid boss told a press conference. “There is no other player like him right now. He doesn’t stop dribbling, shooting. I hope he can maintain this level.
“Winning like this isn’t easy, above all because of how the match began. We never lost confidence and little by little we won control of the ball. We were efficient up front and Vinícius produced an incredible performance.”
VINI JR. CREATES SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHING. 💥 pic.twitter.com/37B1e2Xiw4
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 21, 2023
Vinícius has saved his top scoring form for the Champions League this season, as he’s scored seven goals in 21 La Liga games, and six goals in just seven Champions League matches.
Madrid will aim to seal a quarterfinal spot in the second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu on March 15.
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