Real Madrid’s current number 7 scored in the 7th minute and did the SIUUU!! celebration at Real Madrid’s ex number 7 current stadium.
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In the Spanish Supercopa final on Sunday between Real Madrid and Barcelona, a classic showdown was expected, full of drama. But Carlo Ancelotti’s team defeated their opponents convincingly, 4-1, laying the groundwork for additional difficulties in the next games.
Vinicius Jr. hitting the SIUUU while wearing the No. 7 in Saudi Arabia vs. Barcelona.
— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 15, 2024
You know Cristiano Ronaldo was proud 👏
(via @realmadrid)pic.twitter.com/GfiSmesS77
With a hat-trick that was among the fastest in the rivalry’s history, Vinicius took center stage in the first half. Real Madrid’s speed was too much for Barcelona to keep up with, but Robert Lewandowski’s incredible effort from outside the box gave Barça a much-needed victory. Ronald Araujo’s late red card compounded Barça’s problems and promised a difficult trip for the Spanish team.
Real Madrid:
Vinicius Junior finally made some noise after a quiet season. It’s been an unusual season for Vinicius Junior, shadowed by the latest star of Real Madrid, Jude Bellingham, and facing injuries for the first time in his career, keeping him out of action for a couple of matches – including Sunday’s showdown in Riyadh. However, 39 minutes into the first half, Vinicius’ hat-trick, the third fastest in El Clasico history, put Real Madrid firmly on the path to victory.
Vinicius’s main strength is his speed:
he combines it with Rodrigo Goes to create a deadly combo that is quite successful against high defensive lines like Barcelona’s. His finishing has also dramatically improved, evident in the seventh-minute goal that showcased Madrid’s early dominance. Belingham’s clever through-ball, avoiding defender Andreas Christensen’s attempt to close him down, left Vinicius with a straightforward task of calmly slotting the ball past the goalkeeper.
Vini Jr second goal.
— Joseph Kwadwo S. (@jsarkodie2003) January 14, 2024
Kotoko is bigger than Barcelona #ElClasico pic.twitter.com/j6WTahejXb
His second goal, just three minutes later, was equally impressive. Sliding in to convert Rodrigo’s cross into the net, Vinicius completed his hat-trick with a composed penalty from the spot in the 39th minute, securing a decisive lead. This season, where Rodriguez, Joselu, and Luka Modric all missed penalties, Vinicius showed composure, calmly dispatching the penalty into the bottom corner before celebrating.
The fourth goal for Real Madrid came via a critical interception by the Brazilian star, who stopped Juls Kounde’s effort to halt his cross, giving Rodrigo the opportunity to score on the rebound. Another aspect of the game was added by Vinicius, who stood tall in response to Ronald Araujo’s late challenge.
While his numbers in this campaign may not be noteworthy so far – four goals in 11 La Liga appearances and two goals in three Champions League starts – this was a standout performance for Vinicius. His impressive display against Braga in the Champions League group stage win on November 8 and scoring twice in the 5-1 victory over Valencia three days later showcased his capabilities. However, a final is a different stage, a high-profile tournament’s Clasico marking the halfway point in the season.
Securing his place in the 82nd minute, the job was done, the first trophy of the season secured for Real Madrid. There are still more obstacles to overcome, such as the Champions League knockout round, the Copa del Rey Madrid derby on Thursday, and Sunday’s La Liga championship defense against Girona.
Vinicius being fit is good news for Madrid and bad news for any future opponents.
Xavi and Company need to struggle again to rediscover the club’s high standards:
Barça’s coach Xavi Hernandez has fought against criticism this week, even claiming that his team is playing better football this season compared to last year when they won the title with a ten-point lead. But his claims are based on a hasty examination of the history.
Speaking before the final, Xavi pledged to uphold the principles established by Johan Cruyff 30 years ago and emphasized a positive approach. He used last year’s final as a basis for optimism when Barça defeated Madrid 3-1. Yet, the outcomes were not as favorable this time, with penalties from Inaki, Sergi Roberto, Ilkay Gundogan, and Ferran Torres replacing Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Sergio Busquets, Gavi, and Ousmane Dembele from last year’s XI. Dembele was brought back into the lineup, breaking down the previous team’s issues mercilessly.
The truth is, after winning the league in May, Barcelona’s performance has taken a dip. Since winning the championship, they have dropped three of their last four games and have struggled to get back on track.
It’s not just based on the recent buzz around the El Clasico in mid-east, but it’s rooted in their performance over the past several months. Due to losses against Real Madrid and Girona in La Liga and defeats against Shakhtar Donetsk and Antwerp in the Champions League, their pace in the league has dropped by eight points. Although their progress in the Champions League Round of 16 was not affected.
The slow start in games has been a particular issue, and Madrid, perhaps, has done its homework, breaking out of the block at Al-Avvāl Park with two goals in the first 10 minutes, setting the tone for Barcelona’s campaign. Granada scored 17 seconds later, Alaves scored 18 seconds later, and Antwerp scored 75 seconds later. To defeat Mallorca, Las Palmas, Celta Vigo, and Rayo Vallecano, who scored in the eighth, twelfth, nineteenth, and nineteenth minutes, respectively, they had to come from behind. In chronological order: 39th minute. Girona also took the lead in the 12th minute in Montjuïc last month, but Barcelona didn’t bounce back on that occasion.
Before Thursday’s 2-0 Super Cup semi-final win against Osasuna, Barça, without winning by more than one goal, played 20 games, so there were signs that it was not a team in full flow. Certainly, there are other factors at play, such as the absence of key players like Ter Stegen, João Cancelo, Gavi, and Rafinha, but Real Madrid was also feeling the absence of key players, especially in the backline, and its half didn’t seem effective either.
Barça’s poorly understood high line gifted Madrid its first two goals. After that, they controlled the ball, but except for Lewandowski’s fantastic strike, it seemed like Madrid was happy to keep possession and wait for their chance. There were other moments often created by Pedri, but chances went begging, as Torres lacked the killer instinct. A bad night was concluded for Ronald Araujo with a second yellow card, giving him a red card and a penalty.
It won’t be easy for Xavi to overlook the nature of this El Clasico defeat. The success of last year’s tournament served as an inspiration to him.
Barcelona is still alive in three other competitions – La Liga, the Champions League, and the Copa Del Rey – but if things don’t improve quickly, this defeat could be seen as a catalyst for something entirely different in the coming months. Their circumstances are constantly being observed. — Sam Marsden
The defeat on Sunday is quite unimaginable for Xavi and his team. Nevertheless, Barcelona hasn’t been in great shape recently and secured its place in this round of the competition with a 3-2 win against Barbastre.
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