Vinicius faces scoring crisis ahead of derby clash

Vinicius Junior is experiencing a tough time at Real Madrid ahead of the Madrid derby against Atlético, having scored only one goal in seven matches, alongside facing jeers from the Santiago Bernabéu crowd.

According to "Mundo Deportivo", Atlético do not represent an easy opponent for Vinicius, as the player has scored only three goals in 20 matches against them, and he has never found the net at the Metropolitano Stadium throughout his career.

The match comes after a modest performance from Vinicius Junior against Elche, where he admitted to a decline in his level, confirming that goals will come on Sunday. Despite this, José Mourinho continues to support and rely on him, having played 598 minutes out of a possible 630 minutes.

Kylian Mbappé is on a different path as he continues his pursuit of the Ballon d'Or, having scored two goals in five matches against Atlético. He will meet again with Argentine defender Cristian Romero at the Metropolitano, after being one of the players who denied the French striker the chance to win the FIFA World Cup 2022.

Real Madrid need derby points to avoid losing ground to FC Barcelona, while Mourinho relies on Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappé to lead the team's attack in the clash.