Vinicius Junior’s double against Liverpool has inspired Real Madrid in a comprehensive 3-1 win in the first leg. The Brazilian youngster was an instrumental part of his side’s excellent display on Tuesday.

Vinicius Junior broke the deadlock on the 27th minute capitalizing on Toni Kroos’ exquisite long pass. The Brazilian forward made an excellent run between Liverpool defenders Trent Alexander-Arnold and Nathaniel Phillips, then chested the ball down before firing a low right-footed shot from inside the area past goalkeeper Alisson Becker. Vinicius struck his second of the night in the 65th minute.

The 20-year-old is often criticized for his poor display in some vital matches. Some fans and critics have thought that he should be kept on the bench. But Zidane has some other plans for him. The Real Madrid boss used him again against Liverpool, and he made his mark with a double. He had scored only one goal since October and four in total this season before Tuesday.

After the match, he said, “The people on the outside can keep talking, but I kept on working, that gave me the strength to rise to an important occasion and get the goals we needed.”

It will surely boost up the confidence of the Brazilian. If he continues this form, then it can be beneficial for Real Madrid in this tough week. They will now face Barcelona on Saturday before playing Liverpool in the all-important second leg of the Champions League quarter-final.