Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior expressed his happiness after the 2-1 victory over Manchester City in the Champions League round of 16 at the Etihad Stadium, which qualified the team for the quarter-finals, noting that the first leg ended with a 3-0 win for Real Madrid.

The player said: "It was a very important match to boost our confidence. Since the beginning of the season, we have played many good matches, but we did not control the game as we did in this match. It was a very tough match against a great team and a great coach. They held the ball for a long time, but we knew what we had to do: work hard and take our chances. Of course, I missed many opportunities, but I didn't need them today."

He added: "It's an important moment. All the players knew that good matches were coming, and when Real Madrid plays in this tournament, everything changes; the audience changes, the players change. We are ready for anything that comes."

Regarding the penalty kick he scored: "Honestly, I said it was for Fedi because he delivered an outstanding performance in his first match. I asked him to take the penalty in the first leg, but he refused, and I missed it. Today, he gave me all the confidence, just like a leader does. He gave me the confidence, so I scored the goal and was able to help the team secure the win."

Regarding his celebration: "This is the beauty of football, there is always another chance. Here we are, we've won, and we advance to the quarter-finals with our fans, our families, all the players, and the coaching staff, who have been everything to us."

Regarding his conversation with Pep Guardiola after the match: "I just congratulated him."

He concluded about the quarter-final opponent where the team will face Bayern Munich or Atalanta: "Let's go defeat them!"