Vinicius Jr comes into form for Real Madrid just in time for El Clásico

Vinicius has managed to find top gear in just the right moment. The muscle injury that kept him out for a month until September 26 has long been forgotten and the present form the player is going through is a strong reminder of the Vini over the past two seasons.

He is electric, unafraid to challenge his opponents and, above all, decisive for Carlo Ancelotti and his teammates.

Against Napoli and Osasuna, before the international break, the Brazilian began to show flashes of this recovery with a goal and and an assist. In the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán against Sevilla, he added another green tick next to his name after completing 6 dribbles - his best number since match day 2 against Almería.

Vinicius can be Madrid’s main goal threat

Against Braga in the Champions League, he announced his full return to the Vini of old, getting both assists in a 1-2 win thanks to goals from Rodrygo and Bellingham, increasing his tally of goal contributions for the month of October to 5.

This version of the winger, an unleashed forward, comes also from the tactical simplicity employed by manager Carlo Ancelotti. Taking the Braga game as an example, Vinicius was the highest player up the pitch in terms of average position, with Rodrygo and Bellingham playing well behind in more typical ‘playmaker’ slots. Despite tending to drift to the left, Vinicius’ impact was key in the work done in front of goal.

Vini should have scored against Braga

His occupation of that zone was a constant headache for Mendes, the right back, who enjoyed attacking with his side. This left Vinicius up against centre-back Saatçi, who had night of horror before Halloween against the Brazilian. Vini tried 10 times to take him on and managed it on 6 occasions, the same return as against Sevilla. And he even topped it off with a goal that was ruled offside by an ear and an eyelash: UEFA’s official image representation of the passing move showed just millimetres in the call.

This is why his role as a creator, while not the most attractive or attention-grabbing, is incredibly important for the team. Rodrygo will tell you that for sure, after he got on the end of a low, deflected cross to finally score for the team from the capital after 870 dry minutes. “He’s my brother”, said Vini after the game, “I’m really happy for him”.

‘New duo, new generation’ message to Bellingham

With that cross and the pass to Bellingham for the winner, Vinicius got his 18th assist in the Champions League, one more than both Modric and Kroos, and a number that he has reached after just 48 games. The connection with Bellingham also excites Vinicius, who posted a delightful message on social media: “New duo, new generation, this is Real Madrid!”

The return to form for Vinicius Jr gives another man a headache: Xavi Hernández. The Barcelona boss has found a player who has, on occasion, stopped Vini: Ronald Araújo. However, with Cancelo becoming an important piece in the Barça machine, it remains to be seen if the Catalan coach will switch things up on Saturday. A reinvented centre-back who has become an Anti-Vini shield, or one of the most dangerous wide players in LaLiga? That’s a question for Xavi to answer, but what is certain is that if Vini continues this vein of form, there are not many in the world who can stop him.