Vinícius lives the sweetest moment of his career, breaking his curse to pieces with the goal and becoming the most unbalancing player of Real Madrid. So much so, that the white club, and all of Real Madrid, was furious at his absence at The Best awards and just sent Emilio Butragueño to the gala in protest.
But the Brazilian has developed a sore that responds to the name of Ronald Araújo. After a new defensive display at the Bernabeu this Thursday, Barça's Uruguayan central defender right now seems the only defender in the world capable of deciphering and nullifying all of Vinícius' powers.
As already happened in the final of the Spanish Super Cup, Araújo dried up the Brazilian attacker in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey with another impeccable marking, which even drove Vinícius crazy, very given to these conflicts, desperate for his ineffectiveness and whom Munuera Montero pardoned the expulsion for his protests.
Barça and Real Madrid have met three times this season, with two victories for the Catalans, in the Super Cup final and in the first leg of the Cup semi-final, and a white victory, in the league match at the Bernabeu. Curiously, Araújo missed the league game due to injury, Barça's only defeat, and he exhibited himself in the other two, with two victories.
Xavi had no problems moving Araújo to the right side to dry out Vinícius, a position in which the Uruguayan, without much depth in attack, has shown himself to be a more than valid footballer thanks to an unparalleled destructive capacity, as the player has suffered in particular. Brazilian.
Vinícius, who already scored in the Champions League final last year against Liverpool, is being Real Madrid's main offensive argument this year. His numbers are already impressive, adding 18 goals already in 37 games at this stage of the season, although surely his greatest influence is when it comes to attacking, becoming a threat to all rival defenses. Up to 9 goal passes he has distributed.
In the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 match at Anfield, two goals from Vinícius kicked off Real Madrid's spectacular comeback against Liverpool (2-5), confirming the Brazilian as a footballer who is up there with the best with the ball . But against Araújo he seems to be blocked and this Thursday at the Bernabeu a new example was drawn. The Uruguayan is his cryptonite.
