Returning to the Santiago Bernabéu on Tuesday evening was always going to be a heavy, emotional affair. Playing our first match since that devastating Champions League elimination against Bayern Munich, the atmosphere was understandably tense. While we secured the victory over Alavés, it was a bittersweet moment defined entirely by the actions of our Brazilian star, Vinícius Junior.
Normally, a Vini Jr. stunner at the Bernabéu is followed by electric dancing, kissing the badge, and roaring with the crowd. But this time, the reality of our season weighed too heavily on him.
A Stunner Marred by Heartbreak
The match itself saw Real Madrid taking care of business. Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring in the 30th minute of the first half, finishing off a brilliant assist from Arda Güler.
Then, just five minutes into the second half, Vinícius doubled our advantage. It was a trademark moment of brilliance—a precise, venomous right-footed strike from outside the box that left Alavés goalkeeper Antonio Sivera grasping at thin air. But it wasn’t the absolute quality of the goal that grabbed the headlines; it was what happened next.
The Apology
Instead of racing to the corner flag to celebrate, Vinícius simply stood on the pitch. Looking up at the stands, he raised his hands in a clear, somber gesture of apology to the fans, followed by another motion with his palm raised in a plea for forgiveness.
It was a deeply poignant moment. Vini was visibly sending a message to the Madridistas: I know we failed you in Germany, and I share your pain. It was a raw acknowledgment of the reality that this defeat likely leaves us without major silverware for the 2025-26 campaign.
Staring Down a Trophyless Reality
The harsh truth is that Real Madrid had put all their eggs in the Champions League basket. After the Supercopa de España defeat to Barcelona and the humiliating Copa del Rey exit to Albacete, Europe was our salvation.
Now, we are left clinging to mathematical miracles in La Liga. Tuesday’s win under Álvaro Arbeloa keeps us in second place, but we sit six points behind Barcelona, who still have a game in hand. If they beat Celta Vigo on Wednesday, the gap widens back to nine points with only 15 left to play for.
If we fail to pull off an impossible comeback, we are looking at our first season without a single trophy since the 2020-21 campaign—a year that ultimately triggered Zinedine Zidane’s departure. Even factoring in last season’s Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup wins against lower-tier opposition, going two consecutive years without a major domestic or European title is a brutal pill to swallow for this club.
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