Kyle Walker jokingly (but half-seriously) mentioned warning Vinicius not to flick the ball over his head after the first leg of the Champions League semi-final.
In the first leg, Walker was included in the starting lineup by manager Pep Guardiola to counter Vinicius's speed. The Brazilian striker didn't perform as explosively as usual under Walker's marking, but still shone with a powerful shot from outside the box to open the scoring in the 36th minute. After the match, Walker was seen laughing, having a short conversation, and even hugging Vinicius.
Ahead of today's rematch at the Etihad, when asked the reason behind the hug, Walker jokingly said he was sending a warning to the Real Madrid striker.
"I went to hug Vinicius because he tried to flick the ball over my head," the English defender said on May 16 at the pre-match press conference. "I told him not to do that, because I didn't want to become a laughing stock on social media. We had a good game, and I have a lot of respect for Vinicius. After a game like that, you need to show your respect. But that will stop when the referee blows the whistle to start tomorrow's match."
Walker (right) in a joyful moment with Vinicius (center) after the 1-1 draw at the Bernabeu in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final on May 9. Photo: Rex
Vinicius is one of the most in-form players in Europe this season, with 23 goals and 21 assists in 53 appearances across all competitions. The Brazilian forward has also frequently frustrated opposing defenders with his dribbling and displays of skill.
But Walker wasn't bothered by the 22-year-old striker's style of play and stressed that he had faced much tougher challenges on the pitch. "I wouldn't say Vinicius plays provocatively," he stated. "But Vinicius is a good player and does what needs to be done to help the team. I try not to pay attention to people who try to provoke me or say nasty things."
Walker is confident he can contain Vinicius, just as he did against Kylian Mbappe in the 2022 World Cup quarter-final between England and France. On that occasion, Mbappe failed to score, but France won 2-1 thanks to goals from Olivier Giroud and Aurelien Tchouameni. "If I can't compete with these top players, I shouldn't be here. I need to ensure I'm up against the best and can handle the best," Walker emphasized.
In April, Guardiola stated that Walker "was not making the right movements" to play as a full-back and defensive midfielder, and had lost his starting place to John Stones. As a result, the 32-year-old defender only started three games in the two months from February to April.
Walker admitted feeling "hurt" by the Spanish manager's comments. "I can't sit here and lie that it didn't hurt me," he admitted. "I started to doubt myself, but you have to go back to the basics and your strengths. I had to do the things that made Guardiola sign me and prove him wrong. That's what I did."
Walker has returned to the starting lineup in five of the last six Premier League matches, in addition to the first leg of the Champions League semi-final. According to the British newspaper Sportmail , with Nathan Ake definitely absent, similar to the first leg, Guardiola will continue to use the back four of Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias, Stones, and Walker in today's return match at the Etihad.
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