Vinicius in vicious form for Real Madrid ahead of crucial LaLiga clash with Barcelona
Vinicius has become the focal point of Real Madrid 's attack so far this season. 19 goals and 10 assists have the Brazilian on course to complete his best season since arriving in the Spanish capital. It is not just what he contributes in numbers, however, but also the intangible qualities he brings to the team.
"For me, he's still the best in the world. Even if he hasn't scored," said Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti (63) after beating Liverpool at the Bernabeu.
With Karim Benzema (35) having been absent for much of the season, the Rio de Janeiro-born winger has carried the team. When Vinicius has not been in top form, as in January, Real Madrid have felt it to the point of picking up several negative results that have them nine points behind Barcelona in the LaLiga standings.
Now, with El Clasico in sight, it seems that 'Vini' has regained his sparkle as the tie against Liverpool saw the best version of the young star re-emerge.
In the first leg at Anfield, he led Real Madrid's historic comeback with two goals and an assist. In the second leg, although he did not score, he put his teammates in dangerous situations several times thanks to his passes. He was also a real headache for Liverpool right back Trent Alexander-Arnold (24).
After Madrid's recent results against their arch-rivals, it is crucial that the Brazil international performs at a very high level this weekend.
He is on course to surpass his best goalscoring tally for a season (22 in 2021/22) and adding to that tally against Barcelona would be a great way to try and get something from Camp Nou.
A change of attitude
Both from the outside and from within the Madrid squad itself, Vinicius has been asked to relax his behaviour in the face of referees for some time now. In fact, his worst moments of play have coincided with those in which he was more entangled with the crowds and the referees rather than the game itself.
His teammates and the fans have even begged him to put aside distractions and dedicate himself to what he does best - play football.
Everyone is aware of the pressure he is under and the unpleasantness of the insults he frequently receives but they are also sure that the best course of action is to turn a deaf ear and wait for justice to act. That is, however, sometimes easier said than done.
Vinicius seems to have understood this at the key moment. The pressure on the team away at Barcelona is going to be at its maximum and the youngster will have to make a great effort to keep a cool head. He began to put it into practice against Espanyol, a game in which he received an inexplicable yellow card, but in which he did not react badly.
"I liked his attitude today, he didn't complain and kept playing. He's seen too many yellow cards for the kicks he gets," Ancelotti admitted after the match.
Coming back in the LaLiga title race this season will be difficult for Real but they will want to make the most of their chances and that means beating Barcelona on Sunday. For that to happen, Vinicius has to be at his best in El Clasico. Given what we have seen in the last few games, it seems that he is ready to do so.
