Barcelona’s 2-1 victory in the classic confirmed that Real Madrid have a host of serious problems on top of the 12-point gap that has now emerged at the top of LaLiga.
The reigning champions’ defeat at the Nou Camp, even if it was only the length of an eyebrow that sidelined Marco Asensio’s potentially winning goal, confirmed that Barca defender Ronald Araujo lives rent-free in Vinicius Junior’s head. The overall tally when Barca coach Xavi ordered the 24-year-old centre-back to change positions, play at right-back and mark Vinicius is now: P4, W4, with the score at 11-2.
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Making matters worse, the Brazilian winger started the game by forcing an own goal from a sheepish Araujo. But even though Barcelona is on the hunt for a first home Classic victory in LaLiga since October 2018, not only the Blaugrana turn things around to win, but Vinicius, instead of bursting into his usual form, flickered for a second, then turned back to a damp squib.
Another concern for Madrid fans was that again Los Blancos had very few tactical, athletic or creative answers for damaging an error-prone Barcelona after Vinicius was marginalized.
Not only was this issue a central theme when the sides last met on March 2, it is now only April 5 before they play again in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final for the last time this season. That match, while less important than LaLiga or the Champions League, is a gateway to a possible Quadruple for Madrid (UEFA Super Cup, World Club Cup, Champions League and Copa del Rey), or a Treble for Xavi in his first full season as boss (Spanish Supercopa, LaLiga, Copa del Rey.) And with Real Madrid 1-0 down, I promise it’s the most explosive, tense, all-or-nothing, vindictive Classic for many seasons.
But the question, after this dramatic late victory for Barcelona via Franck Kessie’s skillfully taken goal, is: if Ancelotti, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and the like didn’t come up with solutions to beat Vinicius Araujo in the two weeks between losing the semi-final first leg and Sunday, are they likely for the second leg?
Even worse is to come, when the implications are weighed. Vinicius can have good days and bad days, which is true for any top athlete, because they are all human. But as he added to his bulging credit account with how he created Sunday’s opening goal – pounding his weaker left foot and crossing with such purpose that he caused Araujo to score an own goal – he has never, so often in his career, in succession so effectively stopped by one player.
What does that mean? Well, it becomes a template for Chelsea — Madrid’s opponents in the quarter-finals of the Champions League — and also for Manchester City or Bayern Munich if Los Blancos on the way to the semi-finals.
Not every team, in fact very few, has an Araujo. He may not be in a league of his own yet, but he is world class and has effectively shown others how to patrol Vinicius. I’m sure Chelsea boss Graham Potter, assuming he’s still in charge by the time the quarter-final first leg takes place on April 12, will be working on something similar with full-back Reece James.
Sunday’s events Classic would also have loosened Ancelotti’s grip on his job. If Ancelotti can’t find a way to free Vinicius from his Uruguayan shadow in the Copa semi-finals and then in the game against Chelsea by the end of his contract year, then those of us who enjoy watching the Italian in LaLiga to make it work, probably kiss that prospect goodbye for next season.
This is not an attack on Vinicius, by the way. He showed commitment and commitment; his continued bravery meant he wanted the ball whether he was under pressure or not, his idea was to fight and try to turn the game around. But around him teammates like Karim Benzema and Federico Valverde had hugely disappointing nights and Vinicius was often the only Madrid player (until Ancelotti finally brought in Rodrygo and Asensio) who looked energetic and combative.
Overall, it’s about winning and the battle between Araujo and Vinicius has a 100% success rate for the Blaugrana. Madrid consistently look barren when the Brazilian is thwarted and, worst of all, when you look at the minutiae of this battle, Vinicius plays differently when faced with his Uruguayan rival. He’s not hiding and he’s not scared, but he’s careful. Time and time again, particularly in the second half on Sunday, there was space behind Araujo that Vinicius would normally run into – tempting a right-back into a rash challenge or leaving them in his dust.
I fully accept that this is easier when he has players like Benzema around him in form. But if you looked closely, there were countless times Vinicius looked at Araujo, weighed the sprint, and chose to dribble or pass inside. That’s not a crime, but it takes away a central weapon for Real Madrid and one that has made him “the most decisive player in world football” according to Ancelotti.
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Ancelotti: Real Madrid sad and hurt after El Clásico loss
Carlo Ancelotti reflects on Real Madrid’s 2-1 defeat to Barcelona in LaLiga.
Was he on Sunday? Not again. And for the neutral it was disappointing that this was more of the same.
Ancelotti and Madrid had a tactic planned and during parts of the first half it threatened to work. Kroos would drop into the left-back position as Madrid played off defense, left-back Nacho would push forward to around the halfway line, but still wide of the touchline. With Kroos occupying Barcelona winger Raphinha, if Madrid moved the ball quickly, Araujo would often have the choice to run forward and close off Nacho or, as instinct told him, to stay and mark Vinicius. But like Vinicius himself, the plan flickered, threatened, and vanished as both Nacho and Kroos were knocked out.
A nice touch to the duel between Araujo and Vinicius was watching the healthy and respectful interactions between the pair, which isn’t always the case in the heat of battle. I think they are enjoying the fight – although it is clear that the Uruguayan is much more than that and Vinicius, at 22 years old, is still figuring out what to do. Ancelotti is short of useful solutions and several of the Brazilian’s teammates are actively letting him down.
It’s a problem that needs to be solved. And fast. The clock is ticking as the next version of this “irresistible force vs. the immovable object” is two weeks away. And then there’s the interesting question of how much Chelsea boss Potter and his athletic, Araujo-esque right-back, James, have learned from what they saw on Sunday. The business end of the season is approaching and it’s time for Madrid to get to work.