Barcelona Midfielder Praises 'World-Class' Real Madrid Forward Ahead of El Clasico
Real Madrid sits three points behind La Liga rivals Barcelona heading into the first El Clasico of the season on Saturday. Despite that, they are still unbeaten, having won seven games and drawn three, unlike Barca, who have lost one league game.
Los Blancos forward Vinicius Jr. is in rich form, scoring five goals in his last three games in all competitions. Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong labeled him 'world-class' in a recent interview with beIN Sports and spoke about how his team can stop him.
Barcelona Midfielder Says Team Must Work Together to Stop Vinicius Jr.
During the interview with beIN Sports, Frenkie de Jong spoke about Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. and how the Catalan side can stop the in-form Brazilian. The Dutch midfielder said it's not just one player who can stop Vinicius Jr., but the whole team that must work together to keep him quiet.
The Barcelona captain, recently sidelined with an ankle injury, should be fit for Saturday's game. He spoke about Vinicius Jr. and his outstanding form in past and current seasons. However, he also highlighted that the team can not just focus on stopping this year's Ballon d'Or favorite.
“I think he’s a world-class player with high quality. We need to be careful with him, but they have many other fantastic players.” Frenkie de Jong on Vinicius Jr (beIN Sports) pic.twitter.com/86SCDRtO1u
— Real Madrid On SI (@RealMadrid_OnSI) October 25, 2024
“I think he’s a world-class player with high quality. We need to be careful with him, but they have many other fantastic players.” Frenkie de Jong speaking to beIN Sports
Several of Real Madrid's superstars have not found top gear, with Vinicius Jr. the one player dragging them forward at times this season. It won't be too long before players such as Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé start to find their groove, and the game Saturday could be that time.
Tuesday's second-half performance against Borussia Dortmund showed their full capabilities. The pulsating 45+ minutes will have shown Barcelona that, despite the inconsistent form, the team can step on the gas pedal when pushed. Not that the Catalonia side would expect anything different in this Saturday's El Clasico.
