Stats Show Karim Benzema Did Not Pass To Vinicius Jr At All In Second Half

Opta stats show that Karim Benzema stopped passing to Real Madrid teammate Vinicius Jr after half-time in their clash with Borussia Monchengladbach.

Benzema himself played three passes to Vinicius Jr in the first half - but then none at all in the second half.

Against Gladbach, cameras picked up a conversation between Benzema and Mendy in the tunnel. The striker is allegedly caught telling Mendy in French not to pass to Vinicius Jr, who is just inches away from the conversation.

"He does what he wants," Benzema said, per Téléfoot. "Don't play with him, brother. He plays against us."

However "highlights" of Vinicius Jr's play on the night are now being analysed and seem to show that the brutal takedown of his performance may be warranted to some extent.

The attacker gave away possession several times in a disjoined first-half display. He also missed a good chance to score just after the restart and it is notable that Real's comeback occurred after Vinicius Jr had been substituted, replaced by Eden Hazard with 20 minutes to go and with his side 2-0 down.

Of course it's understandable that a player who only turned 20 in the summer would struggle with inconsistency as he looks to cement a place in Real's first team and justify the €46 million the club spent in 2018 to sign him from Flamengo.

Of course, nobody deserves the treatment Vinicius Jr received from a senior teammate - if the stories around Benzema's actions prove true. However it's also clear that Real's No 20 will have to up his game if he's going to survive at a club that has arguably the highest expectations in European football.

Featured image credit: PA Images