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Real Madrid president Floretino Perez has showered praise on Vinicius Junior following his display in the Copa del Rey final.
Los Blancos took on Osasuna in the summit clash of the domestic cup on Saturday, May 6, at the Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez. They went on to win 2-1 courtesy of a brace from Rodrygo Goes, with Lucas Torro scoring for the runners-up.
Despite not finding the back of the net or getting a shot on target, Vinicius was one of the stars of the show for Real Madrid. The Brazilian, 22, got the assist for Rodrygo's opener and laid out three key passes, while attempting 15 dribbles, nine of which were successful. He also won five fouls and 14 of his 22 ground duels.
After the game, Perez was full of praise for his star forward and said (as quoted by Fabrizio Romano on Twitter):
"Vinicius Junior is the best player in the world in his position. We should defend players who produce something special like him."
The Los Blancos president also lauded 22-year-old Rodrygo, stating:
"Rodrygo is very, very good player... And he's still so young. He's gonna give Madrid fans lot of fantastic years."
The win over Osasuna meant Real Madrid lifted their 20th Copa del Rey trophy. It is their first since 2014 and only their third in the past 30 years.
Vinicius Junior and Real Madrid gear up to take on Manchester City after Copa del Rey win
With one trophy in the bag, Real Madrid will now shift their focus to the UEFA Champions League. Carlo Ancelotti's side will host Premier League leaders Manchester City in the semifinals of the competition, with the first leg scheduled for Tuesday, May 9, at the Santago Bernabeu.
They will need a near-flawless team performance and Vincius Junior will certainly be one of the individuals in focus for Los Blancos. The Brazilian has been in stellar form this season, having scored 22 times and laid out 21 assists in 50 matches across competitions this season.
Vinicius' Champions League record this season in particular is spectacular. He has been Real Madrid's most productive player in the competition this term, recording six goals and five assists in 10 matches.
Additionally, in three career matches against City, the forward has scored once and assisted once, while recording one win.
Pep Guardiola's men will enter Tuesday's match having not lost a game in all competitions since early February. Vinicius will be key if Los Blancos are to break that streak.
