Vinícius Took the Penalty That Should Have Been Mbappé’s, but the Latter Stayed Silent Due to His Good Temper

In La Liga Matchday 11, Real Madrid defeated Valencia 4-0 at home. During the game, Vinícius missed a penalty.

This night should have belonged to Kylian Mbappé—he showed the Golden Boot trophy to Real Madrid fans via TV and was honored at the Bernabéu. As the Frenchman scored twice, inching closer to another La Liga Golden Boot and the European Golden Boot, Vinícius insisted on taking the penalty won by full-back Carreras. The Brazilian apparently didn’t consider that this might deprive Mbappé of a hat-trick opportunity, yet the good-tempered Mbappé chose to stay silent. Perhaps Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso should have stepped in to set things right, but to avoid provoking the rebellious talent, the manager ultimately remained quiet.

As a result, Vinícius missed the penalty again—last season, when Tarrega won a penalty for Mbappé in the 10th minute, his shot was saved by Mamardashvili, and Valencia eventually reversed the game 2-1. Some people just refuse to learn from mistakes.

The return of Real Madrid’s other midfielder Jude Bellingham was once again proven valuable: he not only broke through alone to score the third goal but also orchestrated the exquisite second goal—Bellingham received the ball in space, Arda Güler delivered a precise cross, and Mbappé headed home, making the whole move seamless.

Given the 3-goal lead at halftime, the upcoming away game against Liverpool on Tuesday, and Güler being substituted to rest, the second half was understandably dull. If it weren’t for Carreras’ world-class strike 10 minutes before the end, the Bernabéu would have been almost asleep. However, the team’s brilliant first-half performance was enough to make Madrid fans leave delighted, with only regret for Mbappé’s accidentally deprived hat-trick.