Madrid scrape past Valladolid

Santiago Solari tasted victory in his first La Liga match in charge of Real Madrid but he had the 18-year-old Vinicius Junior to thank for their 2-0 win over Real Valladolid yesterday.

Solari threw Vinicius on with the score goalless and tension building at the Santiago Bernabeu but the teenage striker delivered, before Sergio Ramos’ late penalty gave the scoreline a deceptively comfortable look. The opener in the 83rd minute was an own-goal, deflected off Kiko Olivas, but prompted by Vinicius’ weaving run and shot, the kind of exuberance Madrid’s toothless attack has been so bereft of in recent weeks.

Vinicius celebrated by running over to the bench and hugging Solari. He knows the youngster better than anyone at the club, having managed him with Castilla this season. Julen Lopetegui had, understandably, decided Madrid’s B team was the best place for Vinicius to settle but with every chance missed, the youngster’s reputation has swelled. He started as Madrid thrashed Melilla in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday but those were opponents from the Spanish third tier.

This was Solari’s first proper test. It could so easily have been different, as Valladolid twice hit the crossbar and looked on course for a well-deserved point. There were whistles at half-time from the home crowd, and during the second half too. Instead, Solari and Madrid head into Wednesday’s Champions League game against Viktoria Plzen with their confidence boosted and momentum enhanced.

They had started well. Their best chance of the first half arrived in the third minute, Marco Asensio slipping in Karim Benzema, who dragged his finish wide of the far post. Gareth Bale, Casemiro and Benzema all went close with headers, two of them swung in from 21-year-old left-back Sergio Reguilon but Valladolid survived. Then, as Madrid faded, they took control. Antonito was sent clear but lifted his finish over both Thibaut Courtois and the crossbar. Enes Unal nipped in front Nacho but headed wide from six yards.