Vinícius Júnior silenced his critics with a stunning long-range goal as Real Madrid beat Alavés 2-1 at the Bernabéu on Tuesday. The Brazilian transformed jeers into cheers after fans frustrated by the Champions League exit to Bayern Munich had whistled both him and Kylian Mbappé. Mbappé had opened the scoring with a deflected strike before Vinícius made it 2-0, with Toni Martínez grabbing a consolation for Alavés in added time.

Coach Álvaro Arbeloa backed his star forward at the postmatch news conference. "Vinícius has always made a big effort in difficult situations," Arbeloa said. "He's carried the team on his back. We can't doubt his attitude. He doesn't hide, he's brave." The manager also expressed support for Eduardo Camavinga, who was sent off in Munich and has faced criticism from fans and media.

The win moved Madrid within six points of league leaders Barcelona, who host Celta Vigo on Wednesday before the two sides meet in El Clásico on May 10. Jude Bellingham appeared unhappy at being substituted after 58 minutes, while centre-back Éder Militão limped off with a suspected hamstring issue before halftime—club sources said it appeared minor.