Boss stands by Vinicius benching as Real chase perfect La Liga start

Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso doubled down on his decision to leave Brazilian winger Vinicius Jr out of his starting lineup, insisting every player must fight for their place despite the FIFA world player of the year's heroics off the bench.

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The move paid off last Sunday as Vinicius came on as a substitute to help Real win 3-0 at Oviedo, providing an assist for Mbappe's second goal before netting himself.

Real sit joint-top of LaLiga with four other teams after winning both of their opening matches, setting up Saturday's clash with struggling Mallorca, who are 16th with one point from two games.

When asked about the impact of benching such a high-profile player, Alonso remained unfazed.

"In the dressing room, the key thing is that everyone is willing to contribute, whether on the pitch or off it," he told a press conference on Friday. "Really believing in this is fundamental. And here, everyone does."

The Real boss heaped praise on the Brazilian's response. "I'm very happy with Vini. Against Oviedo, he showed that he can have a big impact coming off the bench. We're just getting started... and he's going to be crucial."

Alonso also backed Rodrygo, who replaced Vinicius on the left wing for his first start since their Club World Cup clash against Al Hilal in June.

"He has performed at his best in different positions. He has played as a nine and even a IO. But I think the left wing is a very good position for him," Alonso said.