Vinicius Junior under pressure to deliver ahead of Madrid derby

Vinicius Junior under pressure to deliver ahead of Madrid derby Real Madrid will be looking to keep pace with Barcelona at the top of the La Liga standings when they face rivals Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano Stadium on Sunday. Madrid trail Barcelona with three points after collecting 15 points from six matches. Vinicius Junior’s form is one of the talking points ahead of the Madrid derby. The 26-year-old has scored once and provided three assists in seven games. However, some supporters have not been happy with his attacking output. He was booed by sections of the Bernabeu crowd during the UEFA Champions League victory over Inter Milan. Vinicius can answer his critics with an outstanding performance against Atletico. The Brazil international has scored three goals against Diego Simeone’s side, two of which came in last season’s derby at the Bernabeu. Vinicius will fancy himself against Atletico’s right-back or wing-back with his pace and flair. He has not been decisive enough, but his underlying attacking numbers still suggest that he remains a crucial player for Madrid. Vinicius ranks third for shots on target and key passes per league game in the Los Blancos squad. Only three players have created higher big chances and successful dribbles per game than the Brazilian winger. With Kylian Mbappe liking to drop to the left flank, Vinicius can drift into the central areas to hurt Atletico. Jose Mourinho will also be hoping that Mbappe, Arda Guler and Jude Bellingham continue their impressive start to the season in Sunday’s derby. However, Vinicius could be under greater scrutiny if Madrid lose to Simeone’s side.