Vinicius Junior Matches Record Set By Ronaldo With Goal vs. Barcelona In Super Copa Final

Vinicius Junior's moment of magic for Real Madrid in their Super Cup clash with Clasico rivals Barcelona counted for little in the grand scheme of things, as they suffered a 3-2 defeat, but it did see him match a notable record. The Brazilian forward now sits level with Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Ferenc Puskas when it comes to goal contributions in major finals.

Real looked to Vinicius for inspiration in their latest showdown with arch-rivals Barca. French frontman Kylian Mbappe was back at Xabi Alonso’s disposal after injury, but was only deemed fit enough for a place on the bench.

Somebody else in the iconic white jersey was required to step up and produce moments of brilliance in the final third of the field. Vinicius delivered on that remit when scoring a stunning solo goal in first-half stoppage-time.

He picked up the ball wide on the left, nutmegged Barca full-back Jules Kounde and burst beyond Pau Cubarsi. With a sight of the target opening up, Vinicius proceeded to lash an unstoppable strike beyond Joan Garcia and into the bottom corner.

That effort brought Real level on the night, with Gonzalo Garcia going on to ensure that they entered the interval all square after Robert Lewandowski had put Barca back in front. Raphinha, who broke the deadlock, would grab what proved to be the winner in a 3-2 thriller with 17 minutes left on the clock.

While Vinicius had to settle for a runners-up medal, he has once again proved to be a man for the big occasion. He has emulated Ronaldo, Benzema and Puskas by registering 16 goal contributions in final appearances for Real.

He netted the match winner for Los Blancos in the 2021-22 Champions League final against Liverpool, in what was a breakthrough campaign for the