Real Madrid have scored 12 goals in their past three matches, but nine of them have come without Vinicius Junior as they prepare to face Barcelona in Sunday’s El Clasico.
The Spanish giants travel to Spotify Camp Nou for the 10th round of La Liga, with Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho and Barcelona boss Hans Flick both facing one of the biggest fixtures of the season.
Real Madrid’s attacking form has improved sharply in the week before the meeting. They scored four goals against Roma, four against Leipzig in the Champions League and another four against Sevilla in La Liga.
That total is higher than the 11 goals they managed across their previous six matches, when they averaged fewer than two goals per game.
Vinicius absence offers a different attacking route
The most notable aspect of that scoring run is that it has largely been achieved without Vinicius.
Real Madrid scored three goals against Roma after the Brazil international was substituted, while two of their goals against Leipzig came after he had left the pitch. He then missed the match against Sevilla through suspension, as Real Madrid scored four times.
The club have also won 10 of the 11 La Liga matches they have played without Vinicius over the past three years, suffering only one defeat.
Vinicius will be absent again against Barcelona. That could prove a positive sign for Mourinho’s side, particularly given the Brazilian’s recent decline in form.
In his place, Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande is enjoying his strongest spell since joining Real Madrid from Leipzig last summer.
Diomande has contributed to six goals in his past four matches, scoring three and creating three more. Five of those six goal contributions have come when he has played on the left wing, the position he is expected to occupy against Barcelona.
Defensive concerns remain
Diomande’s advantage over Vinicius is not necessarily greater skill or speed, but the simplicity of his decision-making. He tends to make a quick choice between dribbling, passing and shooting, rather than weighing several options as the Brazilian often does.
That has been particularly clear in the chances he has created recently. His assists have not depended on spectacular passes, but on straightforward deliveries that matched the flow of the game.
However, Real Madrid’s improved attacking output has not resolved their defensive problems. The team conceded at least once in each of their past three matches, despite scoring 12 goals.
They allowed five goals in total: three against Roma, and one each against Leipzig and Sevilla. That is close to two goals conceded per game.
Against a Barcelona side with significant attacking quality, Real Madrid’s defensive weakness could ultimately decide El Clasico and undermine the attacking solutions they have developed in Vinicius’ absence.
