Vinícius Júnior revealed that a banner displayed by Manchester City fans motivated him to deliver an outstanding performance in Real Madrid’s 3-2 comeback victory in the Champions League on Tuesday.

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Before the match at the Etihad, City supporters unveiled a banner featuring midfielder Rodri holding the Ballon d'Or trophy, which he won ahead of Vinícius last year. The banner also included the phrase "Stop Crying Your Heart Out," referencing a song by Oasis.

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Vinícius responded in style, playing a key role in Madrid’s win. He was named UEFA’s Player of the Match after assisting Jude Bellingham’s dramatic 92nd-minute winner with a perfectly placed lob over City’s goalkeeper, Ederson.

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"I saw [the banner]," Vinícius told Movistar. "But when opposition fans do things, it always gives me more strength to play a great game, and here I did that. … [City] know our history, and everything we've done in this competition."

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Madrid boycotted the Ballon d'Or ceremony in October last year, in protest of Vinícius missing out on the trophy.

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"I don't know if Vini saw it," coach Carlo Ancelotti said in his postmatch news conference. "But having seen the game, if he saw it, it was a big motivation for him."

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Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola said he was unaware of the banner but admitted that Vinícius is "an extraordinary player."

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Meanwhile, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti believes his team has a "slight advantage" in the tie after their 3-2 victory, with the second leg set to take place next week at the Bernabéu.

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"This is the way," Ancelotti said. "We've been talking about it for a long time. The season really starts now, and despite all our difficulties, we've got a very good result.

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"The four at the back [Raúl Asencio, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Federico Valverde and Ferland Mendy] had never played together or even trained together, and they had a spectacular game. … From this emergency, we got something good."

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Ancelotti said he expected two more senior defenders -- Antonio Rüdiger and David Alaba -- to be available for the second leg.

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