Mbappe rallies around Vinicius Jr. with Brazilian star visibly shaken by pre-match jeers

Real Madrid returned to league action after a 2-3 defeat to second-division side Albacete in the Copa del Rey. Facing Levante, who sit 19th in the standings, Madrid secured a routine 2-0 victory, with goals from Kylian Mbappe and Raul Asencio.

However, the most notable moment did not come on the pitch. Ahead of the match, sections of the home crowd jeered Madrid players during the line-up announcement, with Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr. receiving the loudest reaction. Both players have recently been linked with rumours about their relationship with head coach Xabi Alonso, though no official explanation has been given.

Footage released by Real Madrid TV after the game showed Vinicius Jr. deeply affected by the incident. The Brazilian winger was seen sitting on the tunnel floor, clearly distressed, as he waited to walk out. Mbappe and fitness coach Antonio Pintus attempted to console him, but Vinicius kept covering his face with his hands.

Despite the situation, Vinicius played the full 90 minutes and contributed positively as Madrid claimed their first win under new head coach Alvaro Arbeloa. After the match, the Spanish coach praised his player: "(Vini) He looked good to me. He's fine, like everyone else. We're happy with the win and focused on the next game. We're all aware in this dressing room that we're going to improve, that we're going to do it, that we're going to work hard and that we're going to fight for everything.

“As coach of Real Madrid, I'm going to work to get the best out of Vini Jr. I'm going to demand that his teammates look for him and give him as many balls as possible because he's one of the most dynamic players in the world, if not the most.

“For me, it's tremendous luck. I said it the other day. He reflects what it means to be a Real Madrid player. He's a kid who isn't afraid to make mistakes, he's brave, he always asks for the ball, he tries again and again, he has character and he has defended this crest tooth and nail. What he has done here as a kid, not many players in the history of this club have done. I'm very proud to be his coach and I'm going to work with him to get the best out of him because he's going to win us a lot of titles, as he already has.”

With the win over Levante, Real Madrid reduced the gap to Barcelona to one point, despite having played one more match. Barcelona will face Real Sociedad at 3:00 AM on 19 January (GMT+7). Madrid will next return to Champions League action against Monaco on 21 January, before hosting Villarreal on 25 January.