The story of a penalty, from the offer to Valverde to Vinicius’ forgiveness

Vinicius Júnior missed the penalty, but before that – and contrary to what took hold inside the stadium – he had offered the ball and the chance to take it to Federico Valverde, who was on a tear, full of confidence and carrying three goals. It was the chance to put the finishing touch on one of those nights that already belong in Champions League history thanks to the midfielder’s hat trick.

The Uruguayan turned down the offer. Valverde has admitted before that he is not particularly fond of penalties, and he showed it again on his big night. In his mind, that moment belonged to someone else – in this case his friend and teammate. The decision was handled by the two senior captains on the field at that moment. Full faith in Vini. Meanwhile Trent acted as the Brazilian’s guard and escort so nobody could bother him. The rest is already known: short steps toward the ball, the shot, the save, and the apology.

Vinicius Júnior could have effectively sealed the tie with the penalty Real Madrid were awarded in the second half, but his attempt ran into Gianluigi Donnarumma, who waited until the very last moment before diving to one side. It was a blow and a bucket of cold water for a Bernabéu that had been fully behind Arbeloa’s team.

The Brazilian’s reaction was what turned whistles into renewed encouragement from the stands. His apologetic gesture after the miss – something rarely seen – changed the mood. Vinicius raised his arms toward the roof of the Bernabéu in apology before immediately continuing to run and create as he had all game.

That gesture, like his earlier offer to Valverde, carried a message of reconciliation with the Bernabéu and the Real Madrid supporters. The earlier whistles are now behind him. His name was once again chanted by the crowd – all sparked by two simple gestures: the apology and the offer to a teammate.

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