Xavi could deploy Barcelona captain in makeshift role to deal with Real Madrid superstar

With a much-anticipated El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona just around the corner, Xavi is expected to make minor changes to his playing XI and if a report from SPORT is to be believed, Ronald Araujo is likely to play as a right-back to stop Vinicius Jr.

It is to be noted that in the past six Clasicos where Araujo has participated, the Uruguayan didn’t stay in his usual spot in defence. Instead, he moved to the right side to take care of Vinicius Jr.

And for Sunday’s clash, the Barcelona defender is expected to return there even though Xavi has other options available at his disposal. 

One option is to keep Jules Kounde (likely), another is to deploy Sergi Roberto (challenging), a third is to switch to a three-man defence (very challenging), or a fourth is to give Joao Cancelo the starting position, though it’s unlikely due to his recent injury.

Araujo vs Vinicius: A brief history

The first encounter between the two South Americans dates back to March 2022. Xavi knew Dani Alves’ declining speed might not work in his favour so he put Araujo, something that panned out pretty well as Barcelona won 4-0.

Ronald Araujo has faced Vinicius Jr six times as a right-back. (Photo by JOSEP LAGO/AFP via Getty Images)

In January 2023, during the Spanish Super Cup final, Vinicius played as a second striker and struggled against Araujo’s tight marking. Barcelona ended up winning in what is considered their best game in the ‘Xavi era.’

Two months later, The Brazilian squared off against Araujo attempting to change his position to avoid close marking. However, Araujo continued to dominate, and Vinicius got frustrated, even receiving a yellow card for protesting.

Real Madrid and Barcelona squared off for the second time in the same month last year, but this time, Araujo’s marking on Vinicius was not as flawless as before. Araujo even scored an own goal while trying to defend against Vinicius.

In April 2023, Barcelona lost to Real Madrid, with Benzema scoring a hat-trick. Despite the team’s overall poor performance, Araujo fought with Vinicius, who emerged victorious during the game but not in the duel.

The duo’s most recent encounter dates back to October 2023. However, with changes in Real Madrid’s system, Vinicius no longer played on the wing as much. Araujo had control for a while, but as the game progressed, he and the team faced difficulties.