“He is showing the true level he has” - Barcelona star Inigo Martinez heaps praises on ‘important’ 27-year-old teammate ahead of Real Madrid clash
Barcelona defender Inigo Martinez has heaped praise on star forward Raphinha ahead of their clash against Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu on October 26. With Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen still injured, Martinez will be crucial in the Barcelona defense in the season's first El Clasico.
Raphinha has been one of the best players in the Catalan side this season, recording a whopping 17 goal contributions (nine goals and eight assists) in 13 club games across competitions so far.
Raphinha's goal tally includes a hat-trick against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League. The Brazilian's performance helped La Blaugrana register a 4-1 win against the Bavarians after nine years. He also became just the fourth player after Roy Makaay, Sergio Aguero, and Cristiano Ronaldo to net three goals against the Bundesliga giants in the Champions League.
Speaking about Raphinha in an interview with Spanish outlet Marca, Inigo Martinez explained that the left-winger's contributions extend beyond scoring. He raved about his defensive output making him a vital asset on both ends of the pitch. Martinez said (via Barca Universal):
“He is at a very high level, he is showing the true level he has and for us, he is very important. Both scoring goals and defending, he is very important for us,”
Raphinha has combined well with Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal in the frontline, resulting in Barcelona scoring 33 goals in just 10 LaLiga games this season - 12 more than Real Madrid (21). Barcelona currently sit atop the LaLiga table with 27 points, with Real Madrid in second with 24.
Barcelona's Jules Kounde raves about Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr ahead of El Clasico
Barcelona's ace defender Jules Kounde has heaped praise on Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr., claiming that he is one of the favorites to win the 2024 Ballon d'Or.
Vinicius Jr. was one of the most clutch players for Real Madrid last season, helping Los Blancos win LaLiga, UEFA Champions League, and Supercopa de Espana. Vinicius Jr. registered 24 goals and 11 assists in 39 club games across competitions in the 2023-24 season.
The Brazilian was especially impressive in the Champions League, recording six goals and five assists in 10 games. He was the difference maker in both legs of Real Madrid's 4-3 win (on aggregate) against Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-final.
The forward also scored against Borussia Dortmund in the final at Wembley. Los Blancos won the game 2-0 and bagged their record-extending 15th Champions League crown.
Jules Kounde praised Vinicius Jr. in an interview with SportyTV ahead of the El Clasico. The Frenchman also highlighted the importance of stopping him in the game.
“Scared of Viní Jr? No, not scared. He’s the favorite for the Ballon d’Or, it’s a challenge. I love playing against the best. I would say he’s the biggest threat,” said the Barcelona defender (via @MadridXtra on X).
It will be interesting to see how Jules Kounde fares against Vinicius Jr. in Saturday's game. The Frenchman will start as a right-back and will be directly responsible for stopping Vinicius Jr. on the left wing.