Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr has sent a short message to Chelsea’s Reece James after the latter found himself on the wrong end of a crushing Champions League defeat. The Blues thought they had managed to stage a stunning turnaround as they raced into a 3-0 lead at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Strikes from Mason Mount, Antonio Rudiger and Timo Werner looked to have secured the Blues’ place in the last four despite their reverse at Stamford Bridge a week ago. A reply from Brazilian forward Rodrygo hauled Los Blancos level on aggregate before yet another Karim Benzema strike condemned the reigning European champions to an early elimination.
Having played the full 120 minutes in Madrid, Reece James gave his verdict on his side’s performance with a short message posted on Twitter.
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The full-back wrote: “A game full of emotions. We gave everything yesterday. Sometimes in life everything just isn’t enough. Thank you for all the support!”
One of the players in direct competition with the England man during the game was Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. The 21-year-old Brazilian was certainly pivotal to his side’s showing as he teed up Benzema for his extra-time winner - taking his record to an outstanding 17 goals and 17 assists in all competitions.
Following the full-time whistle in the Bernabeu, he replied to James’ verdict with a tweet of his own. He wrote: “Great game bro. Good luck.”
James will certainly be aiming to kick-on for the rest of the season now as he finally aims to overcome his persistent injury issues. Despite the elimination from the Champions League, he still has yet another opportunity to add to his Chelsea medal haul, with the Blues still involved in the conversation for the FA Cup.
Tuchel’s men are set to face Premier League rivals Crystal Palace at Wembley Stadium at the weekend for the chance to either take on Manchester City or Liverpool in the final.
