Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has picked one of his Real Madrid players to win the Ballon d’Or after the club’s Champions League semi-final win over Bayern Munich.
Ancelotti made late substitutions that changed the trajectory of the game after they went down by a lone goal courtesy of a powerful strike by Alphonso Davies.
In a flash, the Los Blancos turned around the game, thanks to a quickfire double by £1.5m loanee from Espanyol Joselu.
It ended 2-1 after the final whistle with Real Madrid booking their place in the final at Wembley.
Speaking after the game, Carlo Ancelotti picked one of his players – Vinicius Jr – as a strong candidate for the Ballon d’Or award.
As cited by Madrid Xtra, Ancelotti said;
“I think Viní Jr. is close to winning the Ballon d’Or.”
After missing out on the top three last year, Vini Jr. is poised for a podium finish this year, following his La Liga triumph and reaching the Champions League final.
Yet, he’ll have to contend with stiff competition from his teammate, Jude Bellingham, who has dazzled in his debut season at Real Madrid.
Contenders like Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe saw their prospects diminish after Bayern Munich and PSG’s respective UCL semi-final exit, increasing the chances of the former Flamengo sensation.
Vinicius Jr won the Man of the Match Award in both legs of the semi-final clash against Bayern. He scored a brace in the first leg to salvage a draw for Real Madrid and assisted Joselu’s winner in the night.
Apart from his goal contributions, Vinicius Jr proved difficult for Bayern Munich’s defenders to handle and was constantly threatening the visitors’ backline with his terrific pace and dribbles.
