Despite scoring a crucial late goal, Karim Benzema didn't exactly cover himself in glory against Borussia Monchengladbach. Real Madrid overturned a 2-0 deficit, with the former France international scoring their first before Casemiro's 93rd-minute equaliser. On paper, it might have looked an impressive display of team spirit - but Zinedine Zidane's men are severely lacking that right now. Benzema was caught on camera complaining to Ferland Mendy about Vincius Jr. in the tunnel at half-time. The Brazilian was sub-par in Germany and struggled to get himself into the game. In fact, his showing was so poor that Benzema was caught telling Mendy “not to pass the ball to Vinicius, I swear on my mother, he’s playing against us”. Here's the original clip:
The striker acted on his own instruction too; per Opta, in the second half, he didn't pass to the 20-year-old once.
Some lip-readers have also claimed he called him "trash".
It was disappointing to see such a senior player talking about his young teammate in such a way, particularly behind his back.
However, a new video has since emerged which shows Benzema and Mendy talking to Vincius before the restart.
It still doesn't excuse the striker's comment in the tunnel, but it suggests he was much more upfront and supportive than was first feared.
There's been an enormous amount of pressure on Vinicius since he first arrived at the Bernabeu in 2018.
The starlet needs the support of the dressing room and the guidance of his senior colleagues.
Benzema would do well to remember some of the tough nights he's had for Los Blancos rather than criticising Vinicius to other players - even if he then spoke to him later on.