3 things Real Madrid must do to beat Barcelona in Supercopa 2022
By Sudhir Salvi
USE VINICIUS JR. AS THE PRIMARY ATTACKING OPTION
Against a side like Barcelona which does not have the fastest of players, playing a direct brand of football with many forward passes will have its reward. Real Madrid should use their in-form superstar Vinicius Junior as the outlet to exploit Barcelona when entering the final third. His pace will cause a lot of issues for the aging duo of Gerard Pique and Dani Alves, who are likely to start.
Vinicius has been in tremendous form this season and with his work on the ball, he will be decisive without a doubt. By playing the ball to him more often than not, Madrid can also get men forward from their defensive stations considering Vini’s hold up play is very good. That way, they can press high up and make the most of Barca’s mistakes when they are in control of the ball.
He also has impeccable chemistry with his attacking partner, Karim Benzema, whereas Marco Asensio is also gelling well and cementing his place in the attacking trident thanks to his understanding with Europe’s top goal-scoring duo. While Vinicius’ dribbling will obviously be the most important attribute, he will also be expected to get a goal or two and deliver the goods.
It is tough to see Eden Hazard getting an opportunity to start against Barcelona but later on in the second half it would not be a bad option to bench Marco Asensio and bring on the Belgian. Should he play with Vinicius and Benzema together in El Clasico, Madrid are likely to have a lot of momentum in attack given the trio’s experience and ability to link up with single touches.