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FootballVinicius Jr Scores Against Valencia, Hits Anti Racism Celebration As Opposing Fans React: Video
- Vini Jr. notched a brace to rescue a draw for Real Madrid
- He even delivered a message to Valencia fans with a gesture
- The draw means Madrid have split points in 2 of their 3 games
Vinicius Junior made a powerful statement against racism after scoring a crucial goal just before halftime in Real Madrid's La Liga clash against Valencia at the Mestalla.
Trailing 2-0 in the first half, Real Madrid faced a daunting challenge, but they managed to narrow the deficit before the break by the kind courtesy of their Brazilian talisman.
Goals from Hugo Duro and Roman Yaremchuk had put Valencia in a commanding position, but Vini Jr. pulled one back for Los Blancos.
Vinicius scores, hits anti-racism sign vs Valencia
The Brazilian forward capitalised on Dani Carvajal's deflected cross to slot the ball past Valencia's defence. Following his goal, Vinicius made a significant gesture towards the Valencia crowd, per Football Espana.
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The 22-year-old displayed the anti-racism sign, aiming to convey a message to the home fans, particularly in light of past incidents.
He found the back of the net for the second time in the game later in the second half to help Madrid grab a point on the road after Jude Bellingham's late winner was controversially cancelled by Jesus Gil Manzano.
Vinicius' bad blood with Valencia
It's worth noting that Vinicius Jr. had been subjected to racial abuse by Valencia supporters during a match in May 2023, Reuters reports.
This marked the 10th reported incident of racial abuse involving the former Flamengo youth product during the previous La Liga season.
Vini helps Madrid draw at Valencia
Meanwhile, Madrid's second draw in three league games sees the 35-time Spanish champions maintain a seven-point lead over second-placed Girona, who are set to face lowly Mallorca on Sunday.
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FootballValencia took an early 2-0 lead within the first half-hour.
However, Ancelotti's men responded just before halftime injury time through Vinicius before he then levelled the score with another goal 14 minutes before the end of the game.
Ancelotti reminds Madrid of last season
Sports Brief also reported that before the game at the Mestalla, head coach Ancelotti emphasised the significance of remembering past events between the two sides on Saturday, the same ground where Vinicius Jr. experienced racial abuse last season.
Ancelotti expressed satisfaction with Valencia's response to the incident.
"We must not forget what happened last year because when there are racist acts, we must condemn and denounce," said the Italian.
"Valencia has done it very well, identifying those who have committed a crime, because racism is a crime," he said.