By Max Tijero, Year 12
After a shaky start to the season, it seems like Real Madrid are finally picking up good form. They are top of Laliga and into the quarter finals of the Copa del Rey. Real Madrid peaked this weekend in their brilliant display vs Las Palmas. Mbappe was brilliant, scoring 2 goals, as well as Rodrygo who scored and assisted, or Ceballos who dominated the midfield.
However, one thing stands out. Vinicius (Vini) Junior did not play this weekend, given a suspension that he earned vs Valencia. It seemed that with Vini on the sidelines, Real Madrid were playing way better. More generous, more team play, less frustration and a better work rate.
Vinicius Jr. is obviously an amazing player that has proved the world wrong on numerous occasions. He has scored in two different Champions League finals, as well as in three semi-finals in a row. He’s been a big leader and a key player in the recent successes of the Real Madrid squad, but his presence has some downsides.
When Vini plays, Rodrygo has to move to the right wing, an unnatural position for him. However, with Vini absent, Rodrygo is able to move to the left wing and bring much more input in attack. With Mbappe playing in the middle, this attack would shine with players like Brahim Diaz with Arda Guler on the right.
Vini is also a player known to get frustrated quickly and is often taken out of the game mentally by his opponents. As one of the team leaders, this impacts everyone negatively given that they all get frustrated with him. As seen vs Valencia, Vini got a red card, but he deserved multiple before this incident.
Now that Mbappe is back to his best, it seems like the attack has found its balance without Vinicius. There has been a noticeable improvement in the work-rate of the attack with all attackers tracking back often. The squad also looks to have better chemistry.
We have seen earlier this season that Mbappe and Vini don’t work too well together, despite having a good relationship off the pitch. Vini’s ego and selfishness does not complement Mbappe, who needs good service in order to maximise his abilities.
We’ve seen that Mbappe and Vini don’t work together well, and a solution would therefore be to choose one or the other. Given recent performances, Mbappe is the clear option. The Saudi Pro League has shown a big interest in Vinicius and would be willing to pay a record breaking amount to sign him. This could be a great solution to reestablish balance in this Real Madrid team who seems to be destined for nothing but greatness. Carlo Ancelotti, or a future new manager, will have an important decision to make.
However, it seems like Vini is underperforming, meanwhile Mbappe is showing his best level. Therefore, if all stays as it is, it would seem that Vini will soon be finding his way out, meanwhile Mbappe will be the new attacking leader of this team.
