Vinícius is set to start for Real Madrid against AEK in Athens on Wednesday, despite a downturn in his dribbling. The forward is suspended for one more La Liga match, but José Mourinho confirmed he would feature in the Champions League fixture.
In his last two appearances in the competition, against Roma and Leipzig, Vinícius did not attempt a dribble. Opta records this as the first time in his 85 Champions League matches that he has gone two games in a row without trying one, amounting to 130 minutes without taking on an opponent.
The change is part of a longer decline in frequency. Vinícius attempted a dribble every 9.5 minutes in the 2022-23 season, his most frequent rate. That interval increased to 10.8 minutes in 2023-24, 12.4 in 2024-25 and 14.4 in 2025-26. This season, he is attempting one every 21.6 minutes, according to Opta. Across his last five matches—against Elche, Atlético, Villarreal, Roma and Leipzig—he has tried just four.
His success rate has remained close to 40%, including this season. The concern, according to the figures, is how rarely he is attempting to beat defenders, rather than a major change in his completion rate. His most prolific Champions League performances included 15 attempts in the 2024 final against Borussia Dortmund, completing eight, and 15 against Atlético in March 2025.
The article also contrasts his output with that of Yan Diomande since the start of the season. In 740 minutes on the pitch, compared with Vinícius’ 800, the Ivory Coast player has attempted 56 dribbles and completed 36, a 64% success rate. Vinícius has attempted 37 and completed 15, with a 40% success rate.
Sources: El País Deportes.