Mourinho confirms Vinicius Jr to start as Real Madrid travel to AEK Athens in Champions League tonight

Jose Mourinho said Vinicius Jr will start for Real Madrid against AEK Athens at the OPAP Arena in Athens in their fourth UEFA Champions League 2026-27 league phase fixture tonight. The confirmation came during the manager’s pre-match press conference ahead of the fixture.

AEK Athens arrive in inconsistent form and will be under pressure at home under coach Marko Nikolić, who has signalled his side will try to take early control of the match. Real Madrid, the competition’s record winners, have won their opening three Champions League games this season and will be aiming to extend that run. Mourinho has said his team are finding a better balance and that Los Merengues have been performing well in the final third.

On selection options, Mourinho listed attacking alternatives before stating his choice: “Having many players is never a problem for me. Diomande can play on both wings, Brahim too, Endrick on the right, but also on the left… Of all of them, Vini is the player best suited to playing on the left wing. We know that,” he said. The comments linked Vinicius directly to a starting role despite competition for places.

Vinicius Jr arrives at the match having received a red card against Villarreal in LaLiga and served a four-match suspension in domestic competition. The article reports the Brazilian forward has experienced a dip in form since the start of the 2026-27 campaign, making tonight an opportunity to respond to critics.

The piece also notes Yan Diomande has produced strong recent displays for Real Madrid, creating selection pressure in wide positions. Mourinho warned that he would not hesitate to drop players who fail to produce top performances, even if that risks benching established names.

Mourinho has included Vinicius in the starting XI for the trip to Athens, confirming the manager’s immediate trust in the forward for this Champions League tie. Fans can watch the match live via SonyLIV.

The match gives Vinicius a chance to arrest his form in European competition and offers Real Madrid a chance to maintain a perfect start to their 2026-27 Champions League group campaign; the game will be played tonight at the OPAP Arena and is available to stream on SonyLIV.