Los Blancos’ encounter against Elche was a triumphant one and the star of the show was none other than Vinicius Junior.
The undisputed moment of the day was the Brazilian forward’s celebration after his first goal in which he performed the viral “that’s how it’s done” gesture, mirroring the TikTok sensation Khaby Lame.
Fans speculated that this celebration was aimed at Vini’s shocking exclusion from the Brazilian national side, even after striking what seems to be the form of his life.
Who is Khaby Lame?
Khabane Lame or “Khaby”, as he is popularly known is an Italy-based Senegalese TikToker who caught the public eye in 2021 through his content.
In his videos, he is seen ridiculing fellow influencers over their overly complicated life-hack videos with an exasperated expression on his face and a signature hand gesture, which has been one of the highlights of 2021.
His fandom extends from the common man, all the up to some of the most famous celebrities of the world, which has made him the second most followed creator on TikTok.
Vini on fire
After dropping points at home versus Osasuna, Carlo Ancelotti’s call to replace Ballon D’or contender Karim Benzema with an out-of-form Mariano Diaz was baffling to fans and pundits alike.
The faith of the boss, however, was paid off, as Mariano fed the ball to Vinicius with a sublime assist who netted the ball with a lethal left-foot finish, leading Madrid to their first goal in the 22nd minute.
The wunderkind winger went on to bag a second at the 73rd-minute mark against the diving Elche keeper Kiko Casilla, more than making up for Benzema’s absence who has been doing the bulk of the scoring.
The brace helped Los Merengues add 3 points to their tally, who now occupy the top spot in the league table.
The winger helped himself to the second spot in the race for Pichichi with a remarkable 7 goals in 11 LaLiga appearances for Real Madrid and has led to the 21-year-old being compared to the likes of prime Cristiano Ronaldo.
Besides Madridistas, Vini’s gesture caught the eye of Khaby himself, who posted a story on Instagram, posing with a television showing the winger in action.