Mourinho: Vinícius Júnior needs goals to hit top form

José Mourinho says Vinícius Júnior will only be judged to have found his best form again once he starts scoring, even though the Real Madrid coach maintains he has no complaints about the winger's current level.

Vinícius has one goal and three assists in six appearances this season. He set up Jude Bellingham's goal in the 35th minute as Real Madrid beat Rayo Vallecano 4-1 in round five of La Liga, a result that followed the 1-0 defeat to Betis that had ended Mourinho's unbeaten start at the club.

Asked at Monday's press conference when supporters would see Vinícius at his sharpest, Mourinho said: "The best version is the one where he scores. Of course assists matter, and working for the team matters. Effort, togetherness and collective work play a huge role. His daily work is also important, and he does that very well. But there is another Vinícius — the one we saw in Lisbon last season, in tight matches, especially in the two play-off games: he gets one chance, he scores, and that's it, job done. Right now he's missing that very top level, but I'm pleased with him."

After the win over Rayo Vallecano, Mourinho gave a fuller picture of the winger's condition. "Physically he's in the best shape of his career. He's not far from reaching his peak speed. His ability to repeat high-intensity sprints is remarkable. He's adapting to the process. Psychologically he's very strong, he knows Madrid better than anyone else. He plays with a great sense of responsibility that comes with representing Real Madrid and the Brazil national team. He's calm. The goals will come," he said.

Real Madrid are second in La Liga, three points behind Barcelona. If Vinícius's finishing starts to match the physical numbers Mourinho describes, that gap is the first thing it would affect.