Alvaro Arbeloa hails 'brave' Vinicius Junior for 'turning whistles into applause' with superb winning goal for Real Madrid vs Alaves

Arbeloa backs his 'brave' Brazilian star

Following a narrow 2-1 victory over Alaves, the Blancos boss was quick to praise Vinicius for his mental fortitude. The Brazilian forward, along with several team-mates, had been targeted by boos from the home crowd following their recent Champions League exit at the hands of Bayern Munich, but he answered his critics with a stunning second-half strike from long range.

"Vinicius has always made a big effort in difficult situations," Arbeloa said in his post-match press conference. "He's carried the team on his back. We can't doubt his attitude. He doesn't hide, he's brave. He's a Madrid fan, he feels the shirt and the badge. The crowd is demanding, they want the best from their players. Vini today turned the whistles into applause, he's done it before, and that's what's important."

Bernabeu tensions boil over for Camavinga

While Vinicius managed to win over the supporters, Eduardo Camavinga found himself as the primary target for the Bernabeu's frustration. The French midfielder, who was sent off during the defeat to Bayern, was audibly booed when he entered as a substitute in the 63rd minute. Every subsequent touch from the 23-year-old was met with jeers from the disgruntled home fans.

Arbeloa was equally supportive of the midfielder, insisting his quality would eventually shine through again. "He has a lot of personality and a lot of experience despite his youth," Arbeloa explained. "He's like Vini, they arrived very young at Real Madrid, they've done a lot and won important trophies. He has the confidence of his coach and the club, and I'm sure of the fans too."

Champions League hangover nearly proves costly

The match itself was a nervous affair as Real Madrid looked to snap a four-game winless streak. Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring with a deflected effort before Vinicius doubled the advantage, but Alaves refused to lie down, hitting the woodwork twice before Toni Martinez grabbed a late consolation goal in stoppage time. The result keeps Madrid within six points of Barcelona, though the Catalan giants hold a game in hand.

Despite the win, it was

Injury concerns for Militao

Madrid’s victory came at a potential cost as Eder Militao was forced off just before the halftime interval. The Brazilian defender had been a standout performer, even striking the crossbar with an effort, but he appeared to pick up a muscular problem that required an immediate change. Antonio Rudiger was brought on to replace him as the medical staff began their assessment.

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