{"id":1233899,"date":"2021-11-19T12:10:25","date_gmt":"2021-11-19T12:10:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1233899"},"modified":"2021-11-19T12:55:21","modified_gmt":"2021-11-19T12:55:21","slug":"vinicius-junior-stats-real-madrid-news","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/vinicius-junior-stats-real-madrid-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Vin\u00edcius J\u00fanior: How Real Madrid’s nearly man became a goal guarantee"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Vin\u00edcius J\u00fanior joined Real Madrid, he had it all. Well, nearly. His all-round game was fantastic. Dribbling second to none. Pace better than any of his opponents. Skill which was unrivalled. No-one could keep up with him. But every time he came to the final third, he would slip up. Until now.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Under new coach Carlo Ancelotti, the change in his game has been magnificent. With nine goals and seven assists, he’s already surpassed his best goals tally and matched his best assists tally in just 16 games, only a third of the number of appearances he made in the 2020\/21 season with Zinedine Zidane.<\/p>\n

The turnaround has been truly remarkable. In 2020\/21, he underperformed xG by a remarkable 3.82. For context, that’s twice as bad as anyone else in the Real Madrid squad. In 2021\/22, he’s overperforming by 2.04 xG, a figure more than twice as good as anyone else, excluding Karim Benzema. Benzema-dependencia<\/em>, as the Spanish media like to call Real Madrid’s reliance on Karim Benzema for goals, is no more.<\/p>\n\n

In fact, Vin\u00edcius scored five in La Liga\u2019s opening five games. By matchday six, he’d already been involved in eight goals and was stepping up as one of LaLiga\u2019s most influential players, while also racking up six goal involvements in four Champions League appearances.<\/p>\n

Injuries have played their part. Rodrygo Goes, Eden Hazard and Gareth Bale have all struggled with fitness issues, while Vin\u00edcius has shone on the field while staying fit. While all three have had long-term issues, Vini has only missed one game since May 2019, but his improvements have gone far beyond just keeping fit.<\/p>\n

“I do extra work at the end of every training session; [Zinedine] Zidane pulls me to one side to work on my finishing, and the other players also give me pointers and advice,\u201d he told Brazilian newspaper O Globo in 2019, although the real step up in his game has come under the arrival of Ancelotti.<\/p>\n

“I think Vin\u00edcius has a lot of quality in one-on-ones,” the Italian coach said after the 21-year-old single-handedly tore apart Alav\u00e9s. \u201cI\u2019ve told him that to score goals he has to take one or two touches, it\u2019s difficult to score with four or five touches. He’s a very young player, he\u2019s going to improve.”<\/p>\n

That analysis is the perfect summary. This season, Vin\u00edcius is more incisive and clinical, no longer doubting, hesitating or waiting for that split second that makes all the difference. While in both 2019\/20 and 2020\/21 he made an average of 1.2 shots per 90 minutes, the number has risen to 2.8 per 90 in 2021\/22. Much of that is down purely to confidence and a greater sense of urgency in Real Madrid’s play.<\/p>\n

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Vin\u00edcius J\u00fanior has now scored as many league goals this season as he had managed in his two previous seasons comibined (6). <\/p>\n

This is just his ninth La Liga start this term. ? pic.twitter.com\/AyquwuIOBp<\/a><\/p>\n

— Squawka (@Squawka) October 30, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n