Barca’s coaching staff knew how to stop Vinicius
Xavi had it clear from the lineup. He wanted a bulldog on Vinicius and the chosen one was Ronald Araújo, who dried up the Brazilian with a sticky marking that played within the limits of legality, especially with a highly protested tackle in which the Uruguayan hit the Madrid player’s leg outside of the field of play. An image, the opposite, sending Vini to the ground, which is becoming more common this season. Right now he is the footballer who has received the most fouls in the First Division with an important distance over the next one against whom they commit the most infractions.
Average Vinicius on the field
The average is revealing. Vinicius has gone from receiving 2.3 fouls per game to the 3.5 that he has been fouled this season. The paradox is that although the rivals’ strategy involves hammering the Brazilian with fouls, they are not usually accompanied by a warning. Iago Aspas is the one who has forced the most cards in LaLiga with ten while Vinicius is part of a mini squad of three footballers (along with Morata and Samu Lino) with nine cards this campaign. The arithmetic is simple: hitting Vinicius pays off. Vinicius is going through a very lackluster section and one of the reasons may be in the rigor with which his rivals are used. This year he is receiving more sticks, even, than last season. If in 2021-22 he was the fourth footballer who received the most fouls in the First Division (only behind Fekir, Munir and Guedes) in this classification he commands and if we extend it to other competitions, there is a striking circumstance: last season Five penalties were called in his favor… and at this moment none.