Soccer
“We need to stop him as a team” – Barcelona Midfielder Frenkie de Jong Heaps Praise on Real Madrid Talisman Ahead of El Clasico
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Get to know Sushan Chakraborty betterPublished25 Oct 2024
Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has lavished praise on Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr., saying it will take a collective effort to stop him in his tracks in the El Clasico. The Dutchman, however, warned against focusing just on Vinicius Jr., as Los Blancos had plenty of match-winners in their ranks.
Vinicius Jr. Is Coming Into El Clasico in Otherworldly Form
Real Madrid will welcome arch-rivals Barcelona to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium for the first El Clasico of the 2024-25 season on Saturday night, October 26. The Whites are currently sitting three points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona. So, a win on Saturday will take them level on points and see them claim the top spot due to a superior head-to-head record.
Real Madrid will need their superstars to fire on all cylinders to get the result they need. Luckily for them, frontman Vinicius Jr. is in white-hot form heading into the contest. The 24-year-old scored a superb 30-minute hat-trick against Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday (October 22), propelling his team to a 5-2 comeback victory.
Barcelona Star Frenkie de Jong Hails Real Madrid Ace Vinicius Jr.
Speaking to beIN SPORTS, Barcelona central midfielder De Jong talked about the El Clasico, identifying Ballon d’Or favorite Vinicius Jr. as the most obvious threat. He said:
“We need to stop him as a team, but he’s a fantastic player. He’s performing really well. Last season he had an amazing season. This season so far he’s performing brilliantly.
“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.”
Vinicius Jr. has been Real Madrid’s most impactful forward this season, scoring eight goals and providing seven assists in 14 matches across competitions.
Madrid have not been at their unplayable best this season, with Carlo Ancelotti still finding a way to fully integrate Kylian Mbappe into the starting XI. De Jong, however, does not think the Whites are on the back foot.
“I think Madrid are a fantastic team. They’re one of the best teams in the world. They have very good players as a team. We’re also a fantastic team. We’re doing well. So, I think the match will be really exciting,” concluded De Jong.
