In the wake of Real Madrid’s 1-0 loss to Liverpool in the Champions League, Thierry Henry did not hold back in his criticism of Vinícius Júnior.
Henry Questions Why Vinícius Didn’t Attack When Given Space Against Liverpool
Real Madrid conceded the goal to Alexis Mac Allister in the 61st minute, leaving them scoreless for the first time this season in the competition.
Henry singled out Viníus’s performance on the left wing, arguing that the Brazilian refused to attack when given space.
“You have to play with what’s in front of you, you have to play the moment,” Henry said on CBS Sports.
He added: “When we watched the game, Viníus Jr received the ball in a one-on-one after a good battle in the first five minutes … and he passed it back to his left-back… and now it was a one-vs-three.”
He questioned why Viníus “let [his opponent] breathe” when a chance to exploit him one-on-one existed.
Henry’s frustration centred on what he perceived as overly cautious play. “Sometimes people try to be cute when there’s no need to be cute,” he said.
He argued that, even if no teammate is in the penalty box, the winger should still look to make something happen — recycle the ball, take a shot, or force the defender into action.
Former Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale echoed Henry’s stance, saying that neither Viníus nor teammate Kylian Mbappé produced “that spark … in the final third” that Real Madrid need from their star attackers.
He suggested that maybe they over-complicate matters instead of simply testing their defenders and using their pace.
Real Madrid will now need to dig deep and rediscover the incisiveness that Henry believes is missing — especially from Viníus — if they hope to recover in the Champions League.
