Real Madrid: 5 players who still need to prove they can be regular starters

Vinicius Junior

Real Madrid’s attack probably has been that aspect of their play that was under question more than any other in the recent days. Yes, Benzema did start in El Derbi. But, he looked rusty coming in from absence. He missed chances, misjudged and mishandled the ball inside the box, and could rescue a point only in the dying minutes of the game.

As such, it becomes vital for the young guns to shoulder responsibilities for the club. Vinicius Jr was subbed on in El Derbi but in the minutes that he played, he struggled on the ball. He made only one shot and maintained a passing accuracy of just over 80%, per Whoscored.com. In the match against Real Sociedad, he carried a better intent but could only rescue a point in the dying minutes.

The Brazilian has struggled to make clean finishes lately. But, that is not to negate the fact that he has shown a better much positive mentality on the ball. Take the game against Atalanta for example. Vini’s movement to get the ball in behind the Atalanta defense set him aside from other forwards. He seemed like the only one interested to produce something clear. Though he was subbed off in the second half, he did impress.

Vinicius has made a total of 31 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring four times and assisting thrice. He is the third-highest goalscorer for Los Blancos after Benzema and Casemiro. The figures, though not very high have been vital to keeping them alive in the title race and the European competition.

Vinicius makes this list solely on his potential that no Madridista is alien to. He needs to work harder and keep a cool head in front of the goal. His deflected finishes just go to prove that he has been overthinking his moves on the pitch. Upon a little more confidence buildup and hard work, he is someone who could cement a starting position up front.