Jose Mourinho was determined to afford him playing time, keeping him on the pitch for as long as was viable—and he did just that. The Portuguese tactician eventually withdrew the Brazilian in the 81st minute with the scoreline locked at 2-2, in search of fresh legs and the attacking spark that had sorely deserted his side. At the very least, Vinicius now takes substitutions in his stride, though his bowed head and lack of bite remain deeply telling.

"Vini played a very acceptable match. Not a great match, but a decent one," insisted the Real Madrid manager post-match, striving to lift the morale of a forward mired in an agonising drought. In an alternate reality, Vinicius never pulled Nathaniel Saliba's hair and his redeeming strike against Villarreal heralded a fresh dawn, immortalised by the sight of Mourinho sprinting over to embrace him near the Bernabeu stands. But reality is far harsher. For now, he must settle for drip-fed minutes in the Champions League while serving a domestic suspension that runs until after the international break.

Against AEK Athens, he attempted just a single dribble and failed to beat his man. A solitary effort. It marks an alarming downturn for a winger who once felt aggrieved to miss out on the Ballon d'Or after taking defenders to task and turning the take-on into an art form. Yet an identical fate befell him a week ago against RB Leipzig, when he tried to beat his marker twice and succeeded on neither occasion. Two consecutive matches, zero take-ons completed.

As reported by Mario Cortegana in 'The Athletic', personal matters, including a recent break-up, have taken a heavy emotional toll on him in recent weeks. Fresh from signing a contract extension until 2032, the Brazilian is committed to arresting his decline and continues to work through a bespoke individual training programme formulated by the club to restore his sharpness. On the pitch, however, what unfolds is a subdued Vinicius: one who shies away from running at his marker, opts for the safe pass, and tries so hard to eliminate mistakes that he ends up making them anyway.

In Athens, he managed two key passes and fashioned a decent opening, but his 11 possession losses proved costly—above all the turnover that triggered Koita's counter-attack, which was finished off by full-back Stavro Pilo surging forward to level at 1-1. In addition, he registered three attempts on goal: one was charged down and two flew comfortably wide. Not a single shot tested the goalkeeper. He has mustered just one goal all season, stretching back to matchday 1 (technically the second round of fixtures) against Real Sociedad. Put simply, he has not found the net since 26 August and has gone without an assist since 12 September against Rayo Vallecano.

Mourinho continues to keep faith with Vinicius Jr, doing his utmost to bolster the player's self-belief through staunch public backing. Despite the domestic ban and the sparkling form of Yan Diomande, Mourinho continues to hold a spot for the Brazilian in Europe, even if it forces the Ivorian out of position. Having fired a warning shot with an early withdrawal in Rome, the Portuguese manager is currently relying on patience rather than ultimatums to draw out a response. But Real Madrid cannot afford to wait forever.