Vinicius celebrates century of goals as Ancelotti calls for defensive improvement
The victory left Madrid in 16th place on the overall standings with 12 points, a point behind Bayer Leverkusen in eighth, the final spot for direct qualification to the last 16.
Vinicius Junior celebrated his 100th goal for Real Madrid in style on 22 January as the Spanish giants cruised to a 5-1 victory over RB Salzburg in the Champions League.
While the win showcased the brilliance of Madrid's attack, manager Carlo Ancelotti admitted that defensive stability remains a work in progress for his team.
The Brazilian winger, now in his sixth season at Madrid, scored twice and expressed his pride at the milestone. "I'm very happy after reaching 100 goals with this shirt," Vinicius told Movistar.
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"I hope to continue like this, score many more goals, and mark an era in this team—that's my dream."
Vinicius achieved the feat in his 291st appearance for the club, moving closer to Ronaldo Nazario's tally of 104 goals for Madrid.
Vinicius was not the only standout performer, as compatriot Rodrygo also netted a brace, while Kylian Mbappe added his name to the scoresheet.
The result secured Madrid's place in the knockout stage, an impressive turnaround after a shaky start to their campaign, which saw them suffer defeats to Liverpool, AC Milan, and Lille.
Despite the commanding win, Ancelotti acknowledged the need for improvement in defence. Speaking to Movistar, he said, "There's no doubt about the quality of our players up front. The efficiency we have in attack is unbelievable, but we need to fix the issues at the back. Sometimes we defend well, sometimes less so. It's a collective problem, and collective commitment is the key this year."
The Italian manager, chasing his 11th Champions League title with Madrid, highlighted the contributions of defenders Antonio Rüdiger, David Alaba, and Raul Asencio but stressed the importance of consistency.
"We're on a good run, but we need to improve defensively to make full use of the quality we have in attack," he added.
The victory left Madrid in 16th place on the overall standings with 12 points, a point behind Bayer Leverkusen in eighth, the final spot for direct qualification to the last 16.
Ancelotti remains confident but cautious about the challenges ahead. "At Real Madrid, you have to win every game. Nothing less is expected," he stated.
