How Real Madrid can maximize Vinicius Jr. vs. Liverpool
Real Madrid fans can now turn their full attention to the Champions League Final next Saturday at the Stade de France against Liverpool, as the most annoying transfer saga of our lives has finally, mercifully ended. And if there is one silver lining, it is that Madridistas can have a greater appreciation for the young stars currently at the club, with Vinicius Jr. standing out as the brightest among them.
Vini Jr. was always a good player for Real Madrid, but he truly became a great one in 2021/22, breaking out of his shell in terms of his end product as both a goal-scorer and creator.
A legitimate Ballon d’Or candidate this season, Vini had 17 goals and 10 assists in LaLiga with 3 goals and 6 assists in the Champions League. Last season when he struggled at times, Vinicius had a huge first leg against Liverpool, proving instrumental in the Merengues advancing past the Premier League giants in the quarterfinals of the competition.
Vinicius Jr. will be similarly crucial to Real Madrid winning the final against a Reds’ side that has improved so much since these two teams last met in the Champions League Final – and in the Champions League in general.
The Toni Kroos and Vinicius Jr. connection could be important again
Maximizing the 21-year-old left winger will be a vital task for Carlo Ancelotti. He will surely be circling the matchup against right back Trent Alexander-Arnold, which Vini Jr. exploited last year.
Now, TAA is the best right back in the world right now and is coming off a fantastic season. His defensive issues can be a bit exaggerated, but it is true that because he is so attacking, he can become vulnerable when facing a top winger. Vinicius is the definition of a top winger; there has not been a better player at the specific LW position in 2021/22.
What Real Madrid can do is use Toni Kroos and David Alaba, who operates as the left-sided center back, to quickly send balls into space to Vini behind TAA whenever Real win the ball back. Alaba and Kroos are the players Real look to immediately when playing it out of the back, and Alaba often recovers the ball himself as an elite defender.
Eder Militao is another center back who looks to Vini often with long passes, and he is a very underrated passer. Just ask Shakhtar Donetsk what he is capable of. But for the most part, Kroos will be the star of the show as a passer – like last year – and Alaba will join him, assuming he is healthy enough to play.
Vinicius Jr.’s heroics may be necessary for Real Madrid vs. Liverpool
When further up the pitch, Real Madrid need to make sure Rodrygo Goes and Karim Benzema are always available to get on the end of Vini’s pass, with Kroos and Ferland Mendy helping to either recirculate the ball or, in Mendy’s case, overlap when Vini needs help. As we have seen this season, Mendy playing well offensively is so important in order for Vinicius Jr. to be able to bring his best to the table.
Real Madrid need to get Vini in space as often as possible and find him early in transition, with Karim and another player, perhaps Fede Valverde or Rodrygo Goes on the right wing or even Luka Modric, ready to run with him. In possession, the key will be making sure Vini never has too many bodies to run through and always has someone to interchange with. As we saw against Sevilla this season, Vini is fully capable of scoring bangers from out of nowhere; he just needs someone to help him work that space by making a good run to clear room or playing the right one-two.
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With 2.6 key passes per game and 2.6 dribbles completed per game this season in the Champions League, Vinicius Jr. is an elite-level difference-maker for Real Madrid in so many ways that go beyond goals. But something tells me that against Liverpool, he will need to be the hero to ensure a 14th Champions League title for Los Blancos. And to get in position to score, he will need to work with his teammates off the ball and continue to make great decisions, which has been an underappreciated, standout aspect of his attacking game in this breakout campaign.