Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr says the display of a banner highlighting Rodri's Ballon d'Or win before kick-off at Manchester City motivated him even more to win the Champions League play-off first leg.

Football feeds off the rivarly narrative, and if Manchester City against Real Madrid is not a traditional battle, their encounters over recent years have certainly stoked passions. The Etihad did

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois shared a lighthearted joke during his postgame chat with the media when asked about the banner celebrating Rodri's Ballo

Manchester City fan group ‘We Are 1894’ has issued a statement denying that the banner was intended for Real Madrid's Vinicius. Instead, they revealed that their real target was someone entirely different.

Back in October, Vinicius Jr had reacted to his Ballon d’Or disappointment by tweeting in Portuguese, “‘I’ll do it x10 if it’s needed. They’re not ready.” And his display last night suggested he was not kidding.

Real Madrid star Vinícius Jr. has aimed a subtle dig back in the direction of the group of Manchester City supporters who took aim at him during this week’s meeting between the sides.The

Ahead of the game, a banner in the Man City end read "Stop crying your heart out" alongside an image of the Ballon d'Or trophy