Yan Diomandé is making the most of Vinicius Jr’s suspension to strengthen his position at Real Madrid. The Ivorian winger impressed in Sunday’s 4-1 victory over Sevilla, scoring once and contributing to all four goals. According to the Spanish press, his recent performances could intensify competition with the Brazilian for a starting spot.

Operating on his preferred left flank, Diomandé played a decisive role throughout the match. He assisted Arda Güler’s opening goal, helped build the move that led to Kylian Mbappé’s strike, won the penalty converted by the Frenchman and sealed the victory with a powerful shot from the edge of the box.

His display followed another goal against Villarreal the previous week and marked a significant improvement after a difficult start to the season. With Vinicius expected to feature against Leipzig in the Champions League on Wednesday, the young Ivorian has given José Mourinho another compelling attacking option.

Diomandé’s statistics further strengthen his case. He has completed 30 of his 45 dribbling attempts this season, compared with 16 out of 38 for Vinicius, despite playing nearly 200 fewer minutes. However, Mourinho insists that the youngster still needs to improve his decision-making and finishing. “He reminds me of Vinicius when he first arrived at Real Madrid; three years later, he had become a top-tier player,” the Portuguese coach explained. With the Clasico against Barcelona approaching, Diomandé has an opportunity to consolidate his place in the squad and challenge the Brazilian’s status. Their rivalry could become one of Real Madrid’s most intriguing battles.