A stunning statistic concerning Vinicius Jr popped up this week in the analysis of Real Madrid’s win over Braga on Tuesday night.
He had set up both goals in the 2-1 win and now has 18 assists in the competition in his 48 games – that’s more than both Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.
Somehow amidst all the noise about the Brazilian – a showman to his fans, a petulant diva to his critics – it’s been lost that he is, Jude Bellingham aside, not just Madrid’s most explosive attacker but also their most likely assist provider.
Vinicius’ performance on Tuesday in Portugal was a reminder that his comeback has been timed perfectly for the Clasico. He has played within himself at times so as not to suffer a re-occurrence of the hamstring pull he suffered at the end of August but just as the Clasico began to loom large on the horizon he has hit top gear again.
He has been involved in five goals so far in October. He got two and an assist in big games against Osasuna and Napoli. There were six successful dribbles against Sevilla. And then there were those two more assists in Braga in midweek.
Vinicius Jnr appears to have hit top gear again for Real Madrid ahead of El Clasico
The Brazilian has scored crucial goals and is also Real Madrid’s most likely assist provider
Vinicius has already struck up a strong understanding with summer signing Jude Bellingham
The second of those passes to goal was for Bellingham and their partnership continues to flourish. Don’t believe the suggestions his nose has been put out by the arrival of a contender for his ‘best-player in the team’ status.
Vinicius got on with Karim Benzema who once ridiculed him in front of team-mates and rolling television cameras so a friendship with Bellingham was easy to strike up.
If you make him play better then that works for him and with Bellingham now surging at defences from deep that can only open space and opportunities up for the Brazilian.
The two get on off the pitch too. The worst thing about the injury Vinicius suffered at the end of August was that it ruled him out of action; the second worse thing was that it meant he couldn’t join Bellingham, Aurelian Tchouameni, Rodrygo and Eduardo Camavinga on a group away day to the Verde Beach Club in Saint-Tropez to celebrate the win. Madrid’s young stars are a band of brothers looking after each other on and off the pitch.
He is happy at the club to the point where he never contemplated leaving despite the racist abuse he suffered at some grounds, including the Camp Nou, in recent seasons.
He was unhappy with a lack of action taken, tweeting: ‘Condemnation is not enough. This has been happening for a long time but still no action has been taken to put an end to this problem of racism.’
But when he was monkey chanted last week in the away fixture at Sevilla, the home club took immediate reaction against the perpetrator and Vinicius applauded their response while also posting photographic evidence of another of those responsible.
And when a Barcelona club spokesman, Mikel Camps, took to social media in midweek to tweet: ‘It’s not racism, he deserves a slap for being a clown’ the condemnation was universal.
Eduardo Camavinga, Bellingham and Vinicius are part of a young band of brothers at the club
Vinicius was subjected to racist abuse again during a match against Sevilla last weekend
The 23-year-old has questioned the lack of action taken to combat racist abuse in Spain
The tweet was hastily deleted and Barcelona director Rafa Yuste said on Wednesday: ‘If Vinicius is listening to me, I tell him that this will not happen again.’
One respected radio presenter on Spain’s biggest late night sports programme referred to Camps as ‘idiot of the day’. The penny has dropped that no amount of so-called unnecessary step-overs can justify using racism to abuse a player.
This has done nothing to calm tensions before the game and news that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez will not attend the match has been put forward as a response to Camps’ tweet.
Perez has also not attended the previous two Clasicos at the Camp Nou and the atmosphere had already been soured by accusations that Barcelona paid a referees’ boss during a 17-year period.
Barcelona also took offence to Madrid wasting no time in adding their name to the list of plaintiffs in the case against them – it certainly showed no signs of any Super-league fraternal loyalty.
There will be not pre-match lunch between the two clubs while out on the pitch Vinicius will inevitably be jeered. Barcelona Ilkay Gundogan has even suggested part of him is happy being the rival’s public enemy number one, for as long as the attention does not turn to racist abuse.
Where there does seem to be huge respect is between him and Ronald Araujo. He will be closely policed by the player again.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez will not attend the Clasico amid tensions with Barcelona
Vinicius is set to renew his battle with Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo in Saturday’s Clasico
The Uruguayan has been moved to right back in recent Clasicos so he can better stop Madrid’s star player. Vinicius’ role has changed somewhat this season with Madrid playing without a centre-forward.
His starting position is more central and so Araujo may be left in the middle of Barça’s back four – whatever the formations the two will not be far from each other and their rivalry has taken on shades of Bobby Moore v Pele, for all that neither is yet at the level of the former two players.
As Clasico rivalries go their sparring doesn’t match Messi v Ronaldo but nothing ever could.
In a fixture orphaned of its two greatest protagonists and searching for someone new to steal the greatest show on earth, Vinicius has stepped forward into the spotlight over recent seasons and there is nothing to suggest this Saturday will be any different.
