Man City defender warns Vinicius

Kyle Walker half-joked about warning Vinicius not to go for the ball over his head, after the first leg of the Champions League semi-final.

In the first leg, Walker was chosen by coach Pep Guardiola to start to deal with Vinicius's speed. The Brazilian striker did not play as explosively as usual when facing Walker's challenge, but still shone with a cannon shot from outside the box to open the score in the 36th minute. After the match, Walker laughed, had a short conversation and even hugged Vinicius.

Ahead of the rematch at Etihad today, when asked about the reason behind this hug, Walker half-jokingly said he was sending a warning to the Real striker.

"I went to hug Vinicius because he tried to flick the ball over my head," the England defender said at a press conference on May 16 before the match. "I said don't do that, because I don't want to be a laughing stock on social media. We had a good fight, and I have a lot of respect for Vinicius. After a game like that, you have to show your respect. But that will stop when the referee blows the whistle to start tomorrow."

Walker (right) in a happy moment with Vinicius (center) after the 1-1 draw at the Bernabeu in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final on May 9. Photo: Rex

Vinicius has been one of the most in-form players in Europe this season, with 23 goals and 21 assists in 53 games in all competitions. The Brazilian striker has also repeatedly made opposing defenders feel "hot" with his dribbling and technical skills.

But Walker isn't fazed by the 22-year-old's style of play, insisting he has faced tougher challenges on the pitch. "I wouldn't say Vinicius is provocative," he said. "But Vinicius is a good player and does what he needs to do to help the team. I try not to pay attention to people trying to annoy me or saying rubbish."

Walker is confident he can contain Vinicius, as he did against Kylian Mbappe in the 2022 World Cup quarter-final between England and France. Mbappe failed to score that day, but France won 2-1 thanks to Olivier Giroud and Aurelien Tchouameni. "If I can't compete with these top players, I shouldn't be here. I need to make sure I'm playing against the best and can handle the best," Walker stressed.

In April, Guardiola said Walker “didn’t have the right movements” to play the full-back/pivot role and lost his starting place to John Stones. As a result, the 32-year-old defender made just three starts in the two months between February and April.

Walker admitted it was "painful" to hear the Spaniard's comments. "I can't sit here and lie and say it didn't hurt me," he admitted. "I started to doubt myself, but you have to go back to basics and your strengths. I had to do the things that made Guardiola sign me and prove him wrong. That's what I did."

Walker has returned to the starting line-up in five of the last six Premier League games, as well as the first leg of the Champions League semi-final. According to British newspaper Sportmail , with Nathan Ake definitely absent, like in the first leg, Guardiola will continue to use the back four Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias, Stones and Walker in the rematch at the Etihad today.

Hong Duy

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