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Real Madrid managed to defeat Real Valladolid with the score of 2-0 in their first game under the management of their interim boss Santiago Solari. Even though Valladolid looked like the better side for the first 80 minutes, they had to taste defeat, thanks to late goals by Los Blancos.
Real Madrid were not looking much different than they were under Julen Lopetegui. They were making poor decisions in the final third and weren't able to produce any goal threat before Kiko Oliva's deflection generated the first goal. Gareth Bale had another poor game adding up to his goal drought.
After the team's dull performance for most of the match, it was their child prodigy Vinicius Junior who saved the day and got them three points. Vinicius made their attack more unpredictable with his Brazilian flare. He was cutting inside quite often. It was his cross which deflected from Kiko Oliva and resulted in the first goal, which looked like an own goal, but the referee Gil Manzano controversially awarded the score to the Brazilian player.
The first goal was the turning point of the match. It gave the much-needed confidence to the team after their 5-game winless streak in LaLiga. In addition to his action for the first goal, Vinicius passed the ball to Karim Benzema before the French striker was tackled and fouled inside the penalty box. Sergio Ramos converted for the spot and sealed Real Madrid's first victory in LaLiga since their 1-0 win over Espanyol on 22 September.
The second goal by Sergio Ramos was equally important as it boosted the team's confidence. This game could be the much-needed win for the club to get back to winning ways.
Anyways, it was a night to remember for Vinicius Junior. He came off the bench, after his terrific performance in the midweek Copa Del Rey match in which he assisted twice, and got three points for his team.
A young, skinny teenager joins the club after the departure of a legend. With his step overs and ability to cut inside through the left flank, who knows, he might be the next Cristiano Ronaldo. Expectations are high from him, here at the Santiago Bernabeu. Let's hope that he can handle the pressure and succeed.
