Chennai
Barcelona will look to continue its unbeaten season in the La Liga when it meets arch-rival Real Madrid at the Olympic Stadium on Saturday.
The first El Clasico of the season may just set the course for Barca’s league title defence.
And Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham would prove to be the most important players for Real Madrid, feels former Argentine forward Javier Saviola, who played for both Real Madrid and Barcelona.
“I think Vinicius will be the most difficult player for Barcelona to stop. In all the Clasicos he’s competed in, he’s been the protagonist,” said Saviola, who scored 73 times and assisted 31 more goals for the two clubs combined.
ALSO READ | La Liga: Girona beats Celta 1-0, goes top of points table
The Brazilian winger, who had 23 goals and 21 assists in all competitions last season, has continued his momentum, with three goals and as many assists in 10 games so far.
The last time he played Barcelona in a competitive match, he scored once in a 4-1 win in the Copa del Rey semifinal.
“Vinicius is the biggest threat for Barcelona. He’s among the top five players in the world. The best thing they (Barca) can do is to put (Ronald) Araujo on him because he is one of the few players who is able to stop him.
“I remember the game at the Bernabeu when Araujo played a great game against him. Barcelona will need to find a way to stop him but they have shown capable of doing that. Tactically Xavi (Hernandez) has prevented him from having a big impact in recent Clasicos,” he added.
Another player whom the Argentine lauded was Jude Bellingham. The English youngster has taken La Liga by storm, scoring 11 goals and assisting three more in 12 matches.
In his first eight matches in the league, he scored seven goals, getting level with Cristiano Ronaldo, who reached the tally in 2009.
ALSO READ | Premier League: Son scores again as Tottenham beats Crystal Palace 2-1 to extend lead
“Bellingham is at a very high level. The number of goals he is scoring for Madrid is enormous. Not only does he score but he is also a very complete player. He’s got a brilliant future ahead of him. In his first year, he has shown how good he is,” Saviola said.
Barcelona, on the other hand, will be troubled further by injury issues, some of which look to have improved, as per head coach Xavi.
Defender Jules Kounde and midfielders Pedri and Sergi Roberto have been ruled out while Frenkie De Jong, Robert Lewandowski and Joao Felix remain in the race to be fit in time for the high-profile clash.
“Joao Felix has had some fitness issues but if he plays, I think he could hold the key for Barcelona. He has the skills to trouble the best players in the world and will need to deliver a big performance,” Saviola added.
Barca and Madrid are separated by a mere point in the table. While the former will have a chance to surpass Madrid in the table, the latter will have a chance to go on top, following Girona’s 1-0 win against Celta Vigo.
“My prediction... it will be 3-3 and this would be a good result with plenty of goals to watch,” Saviola said.
Comments
SHARE