The Brazil star opened the scoring after a superb defence-splitting pass by Jude Bellingham on 40 minutes and then set up Federico Valverde for the all-important second goal in first-half stoppage time.
New Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso warned his team's stars including Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe on Wednesday that they must all pitch in defensively.
Four Atletico Madrid ultras have been handed suspended jail sentences for hanging a dummy of Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior from a bridge in what police deemed a "hate crime", judicial sources said on Monday.
Carlo Ancelotti might not have gotten the start he had wanted as Brazil coach, but the Italian is definitely gaining the confidence of his players.
Ancelotti, who guided the Spanish giants to several titles alongside the Brazilian forward, including two Champions League triumphs and two LaLiga crowns, said that his unique ability to unsettle opposing defences made him a vital asset.
Vinicius Jr missed his second penalty in less than a month as LaLiga champions Real Madrid were shocked at home by Valencia 2-1 on Saturday, leaving the door open for rivals Barcelona to extend their lead on top of the LaLiga standings.
Madrid's two superstar forwards, as well as defender Antonio Rudiger and midfielder Dani Ceballos, face potential punishment ahead of their quarter-final first leg clash at Arsenal on April 8.
“We have to rethink everything we’ve been doing, because the demands will come; the people want us to win,” he said.
Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior were both on target for Real Madrid as they beat Rayo Vallecano 2-1 on Sunday to pull level with La Liga leaders Barcelona.
The format may be new, but few would bet against the winner staying the same.
Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe both struck from the penalty spot to earn Real Madrid a 2-0 win at Real Sociedad in La Liga on Saturday.
The Real Madrid star, who has repeatedly been the victim of racist abuse from opposition fans at La Liga matches, said during an interview broadcast on CNN on Tuesday that more needed to be done to change attitudes in Spanish society.
A Spanish court has handed down an eight-month suspended jail term to a person for online racist abuse targeting Real Madrid players Vinicius Junior and Antonio Rudiger, the club said Wednesday.
The 23-year-old Real Madrid winger was suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards and watched from the stands as Brazil lost to record 15-times winners Uruguay 4-2 in a penalty shootout following a goalless draw on Saturday.
Coming up against Uruguay, the standout performers of this Copa America so far, Brazil, missing their key player Vinicius Jr, will have a lot to fix in this heavyweight quarterfinal clash at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sunday morning.
Brazil and Argentina have expectedly reached the quarterfinals of the Copa America 2024. The Selecao have a relatively more difficult road to the finale as they will face Uruguay in the last eight, whereas the Albiceleste will square off against Ecuador.
In a frantic first fifteen minutes at Levi's Stadium, Vinicius Jr was shown a yellow card while tussling over a loose ball, a booking which rules the winger out of the Uruguay match.
Even in Brazil's Copa America opener this year - a goalless draw against Costa Rica - Vinicius ended up being substituted halfway through the second half after not managing a single scoring attempt. After that, Brazil manager Dorival Jr changed tack and that decision paid back in a major way.
Vinicius terrorised Paraguay's defence with his pace and trickery as he scored two goals in an impressive display, a far cry from his performance in Brazil's 0-0 draw with Costa Rica in their opening group stage match, in which he was largely ineffectual.
