Real Madrid: The one thing Vinicius Junior still needs to prove

Real Madrid’s very own prodigy, Vinicius Junior has shown a massive improvement on all fronts this season. He’s assumed the role of the secondary goalscorer for Real Madrid, and has just started to reach incredible heights as a footballer. Last season, he was working a lot on both ends of the pitch, and causing a lot of chaos in the final third. But, as has been the case for three of his four seasons at Real Madrid, the final product was missing on so many occasions. Real could’ve scored a lot more in the last three seasons had Vinicius been more clinical.

This season, Vinicius is working smartly. He doesn’t track back as often as he used to. He’s preserving his energy for when he actually has the ball with him. The Brazilian has improved in every single aspect of his game, including the most important one for an attacker; being clinical in front of goal.

But, there is one thing that he needs to work on.

Vinicius Junior needs to prove that he can play as a right-winger for Real Madrid

All of this improvement is very pleasing to the eyes of a Madridista. But, it would be even better if Vinicius is able to add versatility to his toolbox.

Whenever we’ve seen the Brazilian play as a right-winger, it hasn’t turned out to be great. He’s looked lost each time he’s played there, most notably in the Champions League semi-final against Chelsea last season.

Vinicius Jr not able to have the same explosiveness that sets him apart on the left wing, and that is something he should work on. One reason is that it gives Ancelotti options in the offense. He can look to play Eden Hazard on the left if the need calls for it, even though it’s very unlikely that it happens.

But, more importantly, we have to look towards the future. There is a huge chance Kylian Mbappe arrives next summer. Now, as explained by the exceptional Sai Siddhartha S here, Mbappe is predominantly a left-winger. He can play on all three positions in the attack, but he’s really explosive on the left and actually shares traits with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and even Vinicius Jr, so playing your best player at his best position would, in theory, yield the best results, which is why it’s better to have the Frenchman on the left.

Vinicius Jr is a left-winger as well, so he will probably have to shift to the right. For that to happen, he must work on that aspect this season. He needs to prove to the coach that he’s up for the task now, so that when the time comes, he is able to form a deadly attacking trident with two of the best players in the world on the left of him.