Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr scored twice as Manchester City lost 2-1 on the night and 5-1 on aggregate in the Champions League last-16
Vinicius Jr mimics crying as Real Madrid beat Manchester City 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium
Vinicius Jr mimics crying as Real Madrid beat Manchester City 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium(Image: Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images)
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Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr insisted he was not attempting to disrespect the Manchester City supporters but was responding to them 'making fun of him' on his last trip to the Etihad Stadium. Back in 2024, City fans unveiled a banner that read: "Stop crying your heart out," with a picture of Rodri winning the Ballon d'Or.
This was in reference to Real Madrid boycotting the awards ceremony after they discovered the City midfielder would win the prestigious prize. Los Blancos felt Vinicius Jr was more deserving of the award and on his first visit back to the Etihad Stadium since, the Brazilian won the game for his side.
After scoring his first of the night in front of the South Stand from the penalty spot, Vinicius Jr ran over to the away end to celebrate. Then, before making his way to the centre circle, the forward could be seen mimicking crying towards the City fans.
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When asked about the celebration on Prime Video, Vinicius Jr said: "The last time we came here, the Manchester City fans were making fun of me. I wasn't disrespecting City fans but it was a way for me to prove myself to them."
City were reduced to 10-men when the penalty was awarded after Bernardo Silva handled the ball on the line. However, the Blues put in a spirited performance and equalised just before the break through Erling Haaland. Jeremy Doku and Rayan Ait-Nouri had goals ruled out for offside before Vinicius Jr bundled in a second as he converted Aurelien Tchouameni's cross.
Reflecting on the result, Vinicius Jr's manager Alvaro Arbeloa said: "I'm so happy; we have beaten Man City at home, and everyone knows how difficult that is. We won 5-1 in the end, and that’s not easy against a squad like that, with a coach like Pep, so I'm really happy.
"We knew City would press us and try to score in the first 15 or 20 minutes. And maybe we needed the ball a little bit more. But after the penalty, it changed and made it a bit easier for us."