Meanwhile, Vinicius is by no means the only Real Madrid star whom manager Álvaro Arbeloa would have to do without if he picks up a yellow card in Tuesday’s second leg against Bayern. With Kylian Mbappé, Dean Huijsen, Aurélien Tchouameni and Álvaro Carreras, four further players from the Royals’ starting line-up face suspension for a yellow card. Furthermore, Jude Bellingham, who started on the bench, would also be suspended should he receive another booking.
Meanwhile, FCB manager Vincent Kompany has dismissed speculation that Bayern might actually be deliberately aiming for a yellow card suspension for Vinicius and co. “That cannot be a tactic,” the Belgian emphasised at Monday’s press conference. At the German record champions themselves, alongside Laimer, centre-back Dayot Upamecano is also at risk of missing the second leg due to a yellow card suspension.