Vinicius Junior Shines as Real Madrid Cruise Past Alaves 3-0 in La Liga

Real Madrid beat Alaves 3-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday to move two points behind local rivals Atletico Madrid in La Liga.  

Karim Benzema broke the deadlock after half an hour when he converted Sergio Reguilon's cross from close range, after Vinicius Jr. had slipped in the Spaniard on the left flank.

Vinicius bagged his first goal in La Liga when he picked up Marco Asensio's cross and slotted it past Fernando Pacheco.

Substitute Mariano Diaz rounded out the win in added time with a diving header from Alvaro Odriozola's cross.

Vinicius Is Real's Future, Not Bale

Since Cristiano Ronaldo left last summer, Madridistas have been waiting for Gareth Bale to plant a flag as his successor. The Welshman hasn't managed to do so, however, and he has instead been usurped by summer arrival Vinicius, 18.

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Sunday's match marked the first time Bale, the youngster and Benzema have all started together, in what should be Los Blancos' strongest attacking lineup.

The contrast between the two could not have been starker, though, as Vinicius consistently showed intent from the outset and offered a spark in the final third that his team-mate did not.

Though it was Reguilon who claimed the assist for Benzema, it was Vinicius who sparked the move with his pass to the left-back, nutmegging Carlos Vigaray in the process.

ESPN's Dermot Corrigan and FourFourTwo's Kiyan Sobhani noted at half-time that Bale had done little:

Bale showed a little more intent early in the second half when he stung Pacheco's palms, but he otherwise struggled to make an impact and was taken off after little more than an hour.

While that may have been intended to keep him fresh for Real's key upcoming matches—Benzema also came off just 10 minutes later—Vinicius emphasised the difference between the pair when he sealed the win with his goal.

Football journalist Rik Sharma was impressed:

Bale is an exceptional player who has been invaluable to Los Blancos at times since his arrival in 2013, but it's Vinicius who is rapidly becoming the new main man at the Bernabeu.

What's Next?

Real take on Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg on Wednesday, before taking on Atletico in La Liga on Saturday. Meanwhile, Alaves host Levante on February 11.