Vinícius Júnior celebrated a significant milestone on Wednesday night, scoring his 99th and 100th goals for Real Madrid during the team’s commanding 5-1 victory over Salzburg. This win not only marked a personal achievement for the Brazilian forward but also secured Madrid a crucial playoff spot after a challenging start in the Champions League.
According to UEFA, Vinícius now ranks third among Brazilian scorers in Champions League history, with 28 goals in the competition. Neymar tops the list with 43 goals, followed by Kaká with 30. Real Madrid reported that Vinícius has a total of 101 goals for the club, although Spanish media noted a discrepancy regarding one goal that was widely regarded as an own goal rather than a legitimate strike by the forward. Reflecting on his scoring prowess, Vinícius stated, “Goals are making me a better player. Early on here, I didn’t score so many, but now I might play the odd bad game but still score twice, and that’s a good habit to have.”
The victory was vital for Madrid, the defending champions and record 15-time European titleholders, who had faced difficulties in the new Champions League format, losing three of their first six matches. Vinícius, who was named man of the match, expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, saying, “I truly think that tonight we produced pretty much the complete performance.” Coach Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged areas for improvement but emphasized the positive momentum following the win. In addition to Vinícius, Rodrygo also shone with two goals, and Kylian Mbappé contributed another after a mistake by Salzburg’s goalkeeper. Jude Bellingham assisted one of Vinícius’ goals before leaving the match with a minor back issue, which Ancelotti downplayed. Madrid will look to build on this momentum in their upcoming match against French club Brest.
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