Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane praised his forward Vinicius Jr. for rising to the big occasion after the Brazilian's two goals helped his side to a 3-1 win over Liverpool in Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg.
Vinicius was signed by Real from Brazilian giants Flamengo when he was just 16 and despite showing flashes of brilliance and exceptional dribbling ability, his time in Spain has often been overshadowed by lacklustre finishing.
Before Tuesday he had scored only 12 goals in 105 Real games while his erratic play led to strike partner Karim Benzema telling team mate Ferland Mendy to avoid passing to the forward during halftime at a Champions League game earlier this season.