Mourinho defends under-fire Vinicius Junior

Jose Mourinho insisted he was pleased with Vinicius Junior's performance after Real Madrid beat RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League.

Goals from Bernardo Silva, Arda Güler, Kylian Mbappé and Yan Diomande earned Los Blancos a comfortable 4-1 victory on home soil.

Mbappé, who has now scored in each of his last 5 Champions League matches for Madrid, is on the second-longest scoring run of his career in the competition.

Diomande, who came on for Vinicius, became Real Madrid's youngest substitute to both score and assist in a Champions League match at 19 years and 341 days, and the 4th-youngest player in the tournament's history to do so. The youngster's rise has coincided with a dip in Vinicius's form since Mourinho's arrival.

Vinicius did not attempt a single dribble in his last 2 competitive matches. It is the first time in his Real Madrid career that the Brazilian star has failed to attempt a dribble in 2 consecutive starts.

Mourinho nevertheless stood by his player, explaining that the substitution was down to the depth of his squad:

"If he is upset, that is an entirely personal matter. There may be a perception from the outside, but only he can say clearly how he feels. As a coach, I am happy with the game he played. More is always expected of Vinicius, and he is always expected to be decisive individually, but he played a game I liked. Of the 3 attacking players, he had the biggest responsibility in terms of defensive balance. Leipzig's right-back was a player who drifts in between the lines, and Vinicius marked him very well. The ball got into the middle only once. Going forward, perhaps he was not overwhelming, but he was balanced. He did not lose the ball, and he had a chance that the goalkeeper saved brilliantly. Taking him off was not the decision of a coach who was unhappy; it was the decision of a coach with a strong bench. I knew I could bring a different kind of pace to the game with the likes of Yan (Diomande) or Endrick. As a coach, I am very happy with what he did."