La Liga: All eyes on Ballon d’Or winner-designate Vinicius Jr as El-Clasico takes centre stage

Vinicius Junior left no one in doubt he is the best player in the world after an astonishing hat-trick for Real Madrid in their come-from-behind 5-2 victory over German giants Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night.
The Brazilian will be aiming to continue his excellent start to the 2024-25 campaign when Los Blancos welcome Barcelona to Bernabeu on Saturday night for El Clasico.
Vinicius had an excellent campaign last season but it was hard to clearly pull him away from his teammate Jude Bellingham and Man City’s Rodri but his blistering form this term so far has solidified his place for the Ballon d’Or and he would once again prove why he is the best when another Clasico hold in Bernabeu today.
Vinicius Junior has been on fire for Real Madrid this season, racking up eight goals and seven assists in 14 games across all competitions. With five goals and six assists in just 10 La Liga matches, he’s been key in keeping Real Madrid near the top of the table.
As Real faces off against Barcelona in another El Clasico, Vinicius’ experience and skill in these high-stakes matches will be huge for Carlo Ancelotti’s side, who are looking to draw level with Barcelona on points.
Since joining Madrid in 2018, Vinicius has played against Barca 17 times, winning 10 of those matches, drawing once, and losing six. In those encounters, he’s scored seven goals and provided four assists. In league games, he’s faced Barcelona 10 times, winning seven and scoring twice—something he’ll look to build on in this latest clash.
Vinicius has had some of his best games against Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup, where he’s scored four goals and provided one assist in just three matches. This includes his standout performance in the 2024 final, where he netted a hat-trick in a 4-1 victory. He scored his first La Liga goal against Barca in a 2-0 win in 2020 and has helped Madrid win six of their last eight league games against their rivals.
Recently, Vinicius went the full 90 minutes in last season’s 2-1 away win over Barcelona, with Jude Bellingham scoring twice. He followed that up with a goal and an assist in Madrid’s 3-2 home win in the reverse fixture. While he’s had tough games too—like the 4-0 home loss in 2021-22—he’s now in top form and ready to help Real Madrid level up in the La Liga standings. With his speed, skill, and growing consistency, Vinicius is set to be a major factor in this El Clasico showdown.
But Jules Kounde, a Barcelona defender, who will particularly attempt to stop the Brazilian admitted Vinicius looks unstaoppabe but he is ready for the challenge.
“He is definitely a top candidate for the Ballon d’Or and one of the best players but for me, this is a challenge. This is also why I play football, I love playing against the best, and Saturday’s game is no exception,” he noted.
“He is probably the biggest threat, but they have other players. It’s a team full of talent, players who can decide games almost single-handedly.
“Vinicius is not a player you can stop on your own, especially for 90 minutes. He doesn’t stop, and there will definitely be moments when I need help.”