David Villa is without doubt one of the best strikers that Spain has ever produced. And he is certainly someone who knows what it takes to make a difference in an El Clasico. He had his fair share of big moments in a Barcelona shirt against Real Madrid, through the course of his storied career.
Of course, that was quite some time ago. Villa left Barcelona in 2013 and went on to have stints at clubs like Atletico Madrid, New York City FC, Melbourne City and Vissel Kobe, before hanging up his boots for good in 2020.
And as we head towards another El Clasico, with a new generation of stars and heroes, Villa had some praise for one Real Madrid player in particular. That is none other than Vinicius Junior.
It looks like Villa has been impressed with what he has seen from Vinicius. As reported by the Daily Mail (via GOAL), the Spanish World Cup winner said:
"“I love the direct style he has. I think football is gradually losing that type of player who plays on the wing, and who looks to take people on. There aren’t as many as there were before and Vinicius is one of them. It’s great to watch him play and always want to take people on and go for the byline or the goal.“And I think independently of Mbappe not arriving last summer Vinicius would have pushed on this season. He’s maturing as a player which is only natural because he’s playing regularly and he has so much ability.”"
Villa gives special praise to Real Madrid player
For a long time, Vinicius was seen as a player with the world of potential but he just could not put it all together on the pitch. He was always a spectacular dribbler, but his output in the final third of the pitch left a lot to be desired.
Vinicius has undergone a brilliant transformation since the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti as manager though. He was one of the best players in the world last season, as Real Madrid won the Champions League and La Liga double. And he has been the club’s most important player in the ongoing campaign, with Karim Benzema struggling with form and fitness.
It remains to be seen if Vinicius can make a difference in the El Clasico against Barcelona. The Brazilian has had his problems when up against Ronald Araujo in the past. Let’s see if that changes at the Camp Nou this time around.