Vinicius highlights Real Madrid transformation in Champions League glare

Vinicius Junior stated that "everything changes" for Real Madrid during the Champions League following his brace which eliminated Manchester City on Tuesday, propelling the 15-time champions into the quarter-finals with a 5-1 aggregate score.

The bulk of the harm to Pep Guardiola's side occurred during the previous week's 3-0 loss in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.

A 2-1 victory at home sealed City's fourth Champions League knockout by Madrid across the past five campaigns, encompassing the last three consecutive years.

Nevertheless, the Spanish powerhouse entered the matchup as underdogs owing to their inconsistent performances, prompting Xabi Alonso to succeed Alvaro Arbeloa as manager in January.

"We players all recognise that the strong performances are arriving and whenever Madrid competes in this tournament, everything transforms," remarked Vinicius, who netted in Champions League finals for Los Blancos both in 2022 and 2024.

"The supporters transform, the squad transforms and we are ready for additional challenges. That is approaching shortly."

Uncertainty regarding the tie's result dissipated merely 20 minutes into the game when City skipper Bernardo Silva received a red card for blocking a Vinicius effort on the goal line using his hand.

The Brazilian successfully converted the subsequent penalty and might have tallied further goals prior to clinching the match deep into added time, after Erling Haaland had equalised for City.

"This match held great significance for boosting our assurance," Vinicius commented on their recent triumph over Pep Guardiola's City outfit.

"From the season's outset we have delivered numerous solid outings, yet we have not dominated them to the extent we managed this confrontation.

"It proved a challenging encounter versus an excellent side, an outstanding manager, during which they possessed ample possession, but we understood our approach, our efforts, and how to capitalise on opportunities."

Madrid confronts a demanding path towards this season's final in Budapest.

They are likely to face Bayern Munich once more in the quarter-finals, while title holders Paris Saint-Germain could await in the semi-finals.