VALENCIA — Vinicius Jr needed only a moment to remind fans of his brilliance. With one swing of his right boot, the Brazilian forward lit up Real Madrid’s 4-1 win over Levante on Tuesday night.
His goal was not an ordinary strike. From distance, and at an awkward angle, Vinicius bent the ball into the net with the outside of his foot. The technique — known as the trivela — has long been the trademark of Luka Modric, the former Madrid playmaker now at AC Milan.
After the match, Vinicius was quick to acknowledge where he learned the move.
“Luka Modric taught me how to shoot like this,” he told reporters. “We miss him. I’m very good at that punch. I hope I can continue to score goals like this.”
The compliment did not go unnoticed. Later that night, Modric left a message on Vinicius’s Instagram post celebrating the victory. “What a goal, brother,” he wrote, a simple reply that carried the weight of admiration from one of the club’s greatest ever midfielders.
The connection between the two players stretches back to their years together in Madrid. Modric’s outside-of-the-boot passing defined an era at the Bernabéu, and his influence has clearly rubbed off on the younger generation. Vinicius is not alone. Other youngsters, such as Arda Güler, also credit the Croatian for his guidance.
For Real Madrid, the victory extended their perfect start to the season under Xabi Alonso. Goals from Vinicius, teenager Franco Mastantuono, and two from Kylian Mbappé sealed the win. The coach, mindful of Saturday’s derby against Atlético Madrid, rotated his squad but kept Vinicius in the line-up.
The Brazilian, who has faced criticism in recent weeks, repaid that faith. He now has three goal contributions in his last two games and appears to be regaining his sharpness. Alonso will hope that form continues as the season intensifies.
As for Modric, his words show he remains tied to Madrid’s story, even from afar. The trivela lives on — carried forward by the next generation he helped to inspire.
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