If Yan Diomande continues to deliver performances like tonight in Real Madrid's 4-1 win over RB Leipzig he might just put Vinicius Junior's future in the starting lineup in doubt.
Diomande joined Madrid from Leipzig in the summer in an £120 million deal, a huge fee for a 19-year-old just breaking out. Given the star-studded attack available to Jose Mourinho, it seemed likely the Ivorian would have to bide his time.
Vinicius has been an undisputed starter at the Estadio Bernabeu for the majority of his time in the Spanish capital. That might no longer be the case given his drop in form and Diomande's displays that are hard for Mourinho to ignore.
Yan Diomande shines yet again as Real Madrid beat RB Leipzig
Tonight, Madrid cruised to a 4-1 win over Leipzig, with Bernardo Silva opening the scoring in the 44th minute. Arda Guler added a second in the 52nd minute before Kylian Mbappe made it three in the 83rd minute.
The visitors pulled one back two minutes later through Tidiam Gomes but Diomande came back to haunt his former club. In the 87th minute, the exciting attacker produced a stunning volley into the top corner to put the seal on a perfect night for Mourinho.
Diomande's goal means he is now the youngest Madrid substitute to score and assist in a Champions League match. He set Mbappe up for the third and that came after he came off the bench.
Vinicius returned to the starting lineup for tonight's encounter at the Bernabeu as he serves a four-match domestic ban. The Brazilian has struggled since the start of the season and it was another underwhelming outing for him.
Diomande, meanwhile, is proving his worth having now scored goals and provided as many assists in his last four matches. He is earning plaudits from Madrid supporters and Mourinho might soon be needing to make a decision over starting him over Vinicius.
Is Diomande coming for Vinicius' starting berth?
It's ironic that Diomande could take Vinicius' place in Madrid's team given he spoke of looking up to the Brazilian before heading to the Bernabeu in the summer. During an interview with Transfermarkt, he made his admiration clear:
"I think Vinicius Junior is the best player in comparison."
Vinicius might be out of sorts at present but he has been a talisman at Madrid, coming to the fore ever since he joined the club in 2018. This feels like the first time his place in the starting lineup is truly at risk and it will either motivate him or refuel speculation over his future.
It didn't help that Mourinho suggested last week that if he were Vinicius he would have left the Bernabeu in the summer. A master at mind games, thee Portuguese coach might be trying to get his winger back on track or hinting that he's prepared to make a decision most Madrid managers have resisted.
