Back in October, Vinicius Jr had reacted to his Ballon d’Or disappointment by tweeting in Portuguese, “‘I’ll do it x10 if it’s needed. They’re not ready.” And his display last night suggested he was not kidding.

Manchester City fans taunted Real Madrid and Vinicius Junior ahead of their Champions League playoff by unfurling a giant banner of Rodri kissing the Ballon d’Or.

The Brazilian winger was taunted by Manchester City fans before the game, but put in a man of the match performance to give his side the advantage.

Football feeds off the rivarly narrative, and if Manchester City against Real Madrid is not a traditional battle, their encounters over recent years have certainly stoked passions. The Etihad did

Ballon d’Or banner gave me strength to have a great game against City – Vinicius Junior - Man City fans displayed a picture of Rodri kissing the trophy with the message ‘Stop crying your heart out’

Vinícius Jr revealed that a pre-match banner celebrating Rodri’s Ballon d’Or win gave him extra motivation to help Real Madrid secure a dramatic 3-2 victory over Manchester City in their Champions League play-off first leg.