"Just ship him to Saudi", "Losing patience with him" - Real Madrid fans slam star for his showing despite 1-0 win over Osasuna in LaLiga clash

Fans on X criticized Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior after he struggled to make an impact in attack during their 1-0 victory over Osasuna. Both teams played their first game of the 2025-26 LaLiga season at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday, August 19.

Los Blancos dominated possession with 78% and took 10 shots in the first half, but couldn't break the deadlock as the opening 45 minutes ended in a draw.

Five minutes into the second half, Osasuna's Juan Cruz tried to win the ball from Kylian Mbappe in the penalty box. However, Cruz fouled the striker in the process, and Real Madrid was awarded a penalty.

Mbappe stepped up to take and converted the penalty to put the hosts ahead in the 51st minute. Meanwhile, Ante Budimir missed a big chance to level the score for the visitors five minutes before regulation.

Osasuna was down to 10 men as Abel Bretones was sent off for elbowing Gonzalo Garcia after a VAR review in stoppage time (90+5'). Three minutes later, Adrian Cordero blew the final whistle as Real Madrid narrowly won the game by a single goal (1-0).

Meanwhile, Vinicius started on the left wing in attack, playing 78 minutes of the match. He also maintained a passing accuracy of 91% (43/47).

The left winger delivered two key passes, failed to register a shot on target, and lost possession 14 times (via Sofascore). After the game, fans took to X to criticize his performance, with one tweeting:

"You see that Vini, just ship him to Saudi.....una for share 1 point if not for pk😪😑 I need El Classico soonest boo boo lemme paste you as usual.”

"I‘m losing patience with Vini man, he has been so poor the whole year,” another added.

"Vini asking for a salary increment with this performance?,” a fan asked.

"Vini looks washed bro,” another said.

"Big part of me would prefer for Rodrygo to stay and for Vini to be sold…,” another opined.

"Nothing is happening" - Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso on Rodrygo

Real Madrid v CA Osasuna - LaLiga EA Sports - Source: Getty

Xabi Alonso has downplayed speculations that Rodrygo is not in his plans this season. This comes as the right-winger was an unused substitute in Los Blancos' win against Osasuna.

Alonso also stated that Rodrygo is among the players he's counting on to contribute offensively. However, he added that it was his decision not to give the Brazilian any minutes against Osasuna, saying (via Madrid Xtra on X):

“Rodrygo? Nothing is happening. I count on Rodrygo of course, it's just a game. This was my decision."

The future of the right-winger has remained a topic of speculation since Alonso replaced Carlo Ancelotti as the manager of La Liga giants. Meanwhile, Rodrygo, who has been linked with moves to Manchester City and Arsenal, has recently seen a decrease in his playing time.

While it is still uncertain whether the 24-year-old might leave Real Madrid this summer, he could be forced to go if he doesn't get regular minutes.

About the author

Abel is an European football journalist who focuses primarily on analysis pieces and preview copies at Sportskeeda. A B.Sc degree holder in Economics, he has a previous work experience of 3 years – a year at Opera News Hub where he was promoted as a 'Verified Sports Writer,’ and over two years at Sportskeeda as a revenue-share writer, where his writing skills have ultimately led him to be integrated into the in-house team.

A Manchester United fan who grew up in a family of Red Devils supporters, he started his journey as an ardent football fan in his childhood. He used to spend hours watching the sport with his family and developed a knack for writing about the beautiful game over the years.

He is a huge admirer of Paul Pogba owing to the midfielder's ability to thread passes from anywhere on the pitch and his favorite manager is Jose Mourinho due to the Portuguese's tactical mind. He feels France's triumph in 2018 is his all-time favorite World Cup moment, and reckons Lamine Yamal and Endrick could replicate the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Abel always strives to verify information, especially statistics, before penning a word and offers constructive but not defamatory criticisms. Apart from Europe's top five leagues, he follows the Eredivisie and the Primeira Liga. He loves to spend his free time playing video games like EA FC and watching movies.

Know More

Edited by Vaishnavi Iyer