Vinícius admits he's angry with himself over his goal drought

He said it straight out, with the face of someone who isn't exactly thrilled with what he sees in the mirror. Vinícius Júnior admitted he's "angry" with himself, though he was careful to clarify that's not the same as being worried. For him, the distinction matters.

The Brazilian forward arrives at this season with numbers that look strange for his standard: just one goal in 10 matches, though three assists show he's still very much involved in the play, it's just the finishing that's eluding him. He spoke after the 4-3 comeback win Real Madrid pulled off away at Roma on Wednesday in the Champions League, a match that started badly for the Whites and ended with an emotional swing on the scoreboard.

I'm not saying I'm worried, but yes, I'm angry with myself for not being at my best. In the end, Vini always comes back. I'm sure of that. It's a tough moment for me, but I have to keep working; things are going to change. I know I'm not at my best right now, but I've been through worse moments before and managed to bounce back.Vinícius Júnior

The Brazilian, 26, is in his ninth season at the club, and this summer he signed a renewal that ties him to Real Madrid through 2032. That's no small detail given everything he's had to prove since he first arrived.

"A lot of people laughed at me"

Vinícius grew reflective looking back on his own journey at the club. He arrived at 18, and by his own account, there was no shortage of mockery about his future as a goal scorer.

I arrived very young, at 18, and I've always shown up for this club, for this team. When I was 18, a lot of people laughed at me, saying I wasn't going to score goals, and today I have more than 100 with this shirt. A lot of titles too, I don't even need to name them. A lot of people have doubted me, but I've always shown up for this club, that's why I signed on for six more years. But good form is coming back, and the goals too; I'm sure of that, I have no doubt at all.Vinícius Júnior

The week hadn't been easy for him. On Saturday he was sent off in the 1-0 win over Villarreal for pulling Nathan Saliba's hair, a moment that earned him a four match suspension. That absence carries weight: he'll miss the Clásico on October 25 against Barcelona at Camp Nou, a fixture any Madrid player wants to be part of.

In Rome, Vinícius started the match but couldn't hide his frustration when he was substituted in the 59th minute, with the team trailing 3-1. Endrick came on in his place, his teammate on the Brazilian national team, and ended up scoring the equalizer after Carlos Espí's earlier goal had cut the deficit.

Asked about the substitution, Vinícius was honest: he struggles to accept coming off, but he doesn't hide what it meant for the result.

It's normal that it bothers me to be substituted because I always want to play, to be in good shape to help the team. Today that wasn't possible. In the end, the substitutions helped us. They changed the game. Endrick came on and made a big impact, he changed the dynamic and even scored a goal. He was the best player of the second half. We hope he keeps developing so he can keep contributing, just like other players such as Carlos, who often comes on for just a few minutes. They're helping us a lot.Vinícius Júnior

Now it's a matter of waiting. Vinícius will serve the first of his four match suspension this Sunday, when Real Madrid host Sevilla in LaLiga. From the stands, though, with the conviction that his best form is about to return.