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Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has come out in support of Vinicius Junior after the Brazil forward was once again whistled by his own fans. The winger was taken off late in Tuesday's hard-fought Champions League win over Inter, with the home crowd showing its frustration after an underwhelming performance.

Real Madrid edge past Inter amid fan frustration

Kylian Mbappe and Federico Valverde scored as Real Madrid began their Champions League league phase campaign with a 2-1 win over Inter. Even though they took all three points on Tuesday, the mood at the Bernabeu turned tense late in the game when Vinicius Junior was substituted. The Brazilian left the field in the 87th minute to whistles from the home supporters, who made their disappointment clear after the attacker struggled to make a decisive impact against a stubborn Italian defence.

Mourinho stands by out-of-form winger

Speaking to reporters after the final whistle, Mourinho admitted that Vinicius is not in his best form at the moment, but stressed how much effort the player is putting in defensively. The Portuguese coach said the winger was simply feeling the effects of fatigue in the closing stages.

"He isn't at his best, and he knows it," Mourinho said in his post-match press conference. "But he's working hard to be the Vinicius who decides games. Without being at his best, he's working harder than ever.

"In the moments that he wasn't able to drop back and defend, it was because of fatigue. I have to value that a lot. I have a lot of respect for this Vinicius. The time will come when he decides games, and wins us games."

Mourinho also made it clear that he still fully trusts the forward to turn things around, while pointing to the tactical problems created by Inter's wing-back setup.

"If he works, he'll always have my support," he added. "He worked very hard for the team. Playing against a side that plays with three at the back, with wing-backs, it's very hard for the wingers.

"Obviously with the one-on-ones he had on the left wing, with Vini at his best, he'd kill the game. That's what we expect of him. But he gave everything."

Tough phase in the Spanish capital

This latest episode adds to a difficult spell for the Brazil international. After a challenging 2025-26 season marked by repeated criticism from the Madrid supporters, Vinicius committed his long-term future to the club this summer. But his start to the new campaign has been below his usual high standards, with just one goal and two assists in five appearances.

The Inter match also underlined the structural issues Mourinho had to deal with. With Bernardo Silva, Arda Guler and Eduardo Camavinga all suspended, the Real Madrid boss had to use Trent Alexander-Arnold out of position in central midfield. Mourinho praised the England international's effort, saying: "It's hard for Trent. I appreciate the effort he made, but with his characteristics, the specificity needed to play full-back or central midfield, it's completely different physically.

"He had some losses of the ball, because it's not the same playing with the whole field in front of you, and playing with half the field behind you. He's played there a few times with Liverpool and the national team, but, it's completely different. He didn't have more to give."

Trying to win back the Bernabeu

Vinicius now faces a difficult task to regain the trust of the demanding Real Madrid crowd as Mourinho's side switch focus back to domestic football. Los Blancos are due to host Rayo Vallecano in a Madrid derby in La Liga on Saturday, giving the Brazilian an immediate chance to answer his critics at home.

European action will then pause because of the upcoming international break. After that, Madrid will travel to Rome to take on Serie A heavyweights Roma. Having just come through a match against his former club Inter, Mourinho will now meet another of his old sides as Los Blancos try to build on their opening win.