Vinicius Junior spoke to ‘RM Play’ ahead of Real Madrid’s Champions League opener, boldly declaring that they will conquer Europe this season.

Following a two-season drought, Real Madrid have set their sights firmly on the Champions League. Los Blancos kick off their latest European campaign on Tuesday, and Vinicius Jr spoke to ‘RM Play’, the club’s official streaming platform.

The Brazilian forward boldly asserted that they will lift their 16th European crown following two underwhelming campaigns: “Hopefully number 16 arrives. We are ready for it. It is our competition. We haven’t performed well over the last two years. Our first goal is to finish in the top eight. We are always thrilled by the Champions League. This season is going to be different compared to the last two and we are going to win it.”

Vinicius also reflected fondly on his decisive strikes against Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund in the last two finals: “They are the two most important goals of my life. It goes down in history. Many players score goals, but few in finals. And doing it for the biggest club in the world is something neither the fans nor I will ever forget.”

Finally, he shared his thoughts ahead of the opening clash against Inter: “Whenever the Champions League comes around, it is something different. We are ready for this match against a great side who will demand a lot from us. They are physically very strong and defend with a back five, which usually causes us problems, but the boss has prepared us well. We have a few absences, but we will all go out strong. Hopefully we can build that wonderful connection with the fans in these matches,” he concluded.

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Inter Miami ended their slump with an emphatic 7-1 thrashing of Montreal. Lionel Messi stole the show with a sensational four-goal haul, including a breathtaking solo strike after slaloming past three defenders.

The Argentine maestro, who also weighed in with an assist, delivered a performance for the ages. He got his first strike after his curling free-kick took a heavy deflection off Petrasso.

The No. 10’s second goal was a pure work of art. Collecting the ball from Luis Suarez on the edge of the ‘D’, the forward danced past three defenders in tight quarters before finishing clinically on his right foot. His third arrived via a trademark chipped finish after being slipped clean through on the goalkeeper. Finally, at 6-1, Lionel Messi capped the rout with a signature masterpiece: a sublime free-kick from the edge of the area.

Inter Miami brought an emphatic end to their recent slump ahead of Kily Gonzalez taking the managerial reins. In contrast, Messi, the leading marksman in MLS, took another step towards the landmark of 1,000 career goals, lifting his elite-level tally to 927.

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According to Fabrizio Romano, Barca have struck a deal with Arsenal to sign Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian will bolster the Blaugrana attack following the collapsed move for Julian Alvarez.

According to the report, both clubs have settled on a transfer fee of €10 million plus add-ons for the Brazil international.

The Italian journalist claims the transfer is fully sealed, with Gabriel Jesus scheduled to fly to Barcelona on Monday for a medical after receiving the green light from Arsenal.

At 29 years of age, the Brazilian striker departs the Gunners following four injury-hit seasons, during which he tallied 32 goals in 123 appearances. He is set to join Hansi Flick’s FC Barcelona, finally providing the German manager with a proven reinforcement in the No. 9 position after the exits of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres.

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