Vinicius spins the Bernabéu roulette wheel

A restless Bernabéu, a searching Vinícius and a Monaco side short on shine set the stage for a Champions League night full of tension.

FERNANDO VILLAR

Carlos Forjanes Calum Roche

Update: Jan 20th, 2026 00:57 EST

The last time the Bernabéu truly erupted with a Vinícius Júnior goal was October 4 – a brace, no less, against Villarreal. It feels like eons ago at Real Madrid. Since then came a period of crisis, partially soothed by the 2–0 win over Levante, though not the tense relationship between the stadium and Vinícius. Tonight, with Monaco in town, the roulette wheel spins again. Boos, a Brazilian goal, reconciliation, another rupture – who knows where the ball will land.

The Champions League has always been a source of joy for Vinícius. This is where he has truly danced – goals in the finals at Saint-Denis and Wembley, nights of wine and roses. Except this season. Not a single goal so far, and that devastating level only appeared in Athens, where he provided two assists in the 4–3 win over Olympiacos. Those days must be recovered. After catching his breath in La Liga, Álvaro Arbeloa even said out loud that he “is going to demand” his team provide more playable balls to No. 7 – to look for him, to see if Vinícius can find himself again. Shock therapy.

Vinicius spins the Bernabéu roulette wheel — Güler, during the LaLiga EA Sports match played against Levante UD this past Saturday at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium.Javier Lizón

Arbeloa will not be able to count on Rodrygo or Rüdiger, whose physical condition still rules them out. Carreras is also unavailable due to suspension. Among the youth rotation, all four from the previous squad list drop out – David Jiménez, Cestero, Palacios and Leiva – while two newcomers come in: Pol Fortuny and Mesonero. The added bonuses are Arda Güler, who tore Levante apart, and the faint but intriguing sense of footballing reinvention from Franco Mastantuono, including a spectacular shot off the crossbar against the Granotas.

Glamour, in name only

And then there is Monaco. The glamour of Monte Carlo, where the average square meter costs around $66,000, is nowhere to be found on the pitch – at least not right now. Only Maghnes Akliouche, 23, a Formula One engine with a devastating left foot who has already caught Didier Deschamps’ eye, looks like a future star. Ansu Fati is searching for himself again during this loan spell in the principality. At just 23, such is football. The Côte d’Azur suited him perfectly at first – six goals in his first five games – then less so, before he found some rhythm again this week, albeit in a painful 3–1 loss to Lorient. Ansu offers hope; Paul Pogba, not even that. Once an enfant terrible, he has played just 30 minutes all season, and it takes some digging to remember the super-elite midfielder he once was. At 32, such is life.

The Monegasque side is hardly cruising either. Under Sébastien Pocognoli, who made Union Saint-Gilloise champions of Belgium, they are mired in a domestic crisis, far from the European places. In the Champions League they have been more solid: 19th place and just one defeat. A well-dressed guest on a night when many eyes – very many – will be fixed on Vinícius.