Numbers highlight Real Madrid forward’s struggle for form this season | OneFootball

As we approach the first international break of the season, there has much chatter around Vinicius Jr. and his form so far.

The Brazilian international, after signing a lucrative contract in the summer, has struggled to produce the goods in the final third, having scored just once this season.

Vinicius’ form has led many to believe that Jose Mourinho’s patience could be running thin, especially with Yan Diomande, Arda Guler and Brahim Diaz also vying for places in the starting eleven.

How Vinicius has underperformed this season

The statistics paint a worrying picture of just how far Vinicius has fallen below his usual standards.

Vinicius Jr. has underperformed this season. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

The Brazilian trails La Liga’s top scorer Raphinha by 12 goals, and is six behind both Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal.

When factoring in total attacking contributions of goals and assists combined, Vinicius sits a lowly 16th in La Liga.

The root of the problem lies in his inability to threaten the goal. Only 27.3% of his shots hit the target, placing him 58th among all La Liga players.

Struggles across the board

Vinicius’ issues are not limited to his finishing, with his all-round numbers also falling short.

Just 79.4% of his passes have found their target, ranking him 255th in the division, while only 42.9% of his attempted dribbles have been successful, placing him 44th.

Vinicius Jr. must improve after the break. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

For a player whose game is built on beating his man, that dribbling return is particularly alarming.

If we compare these numbers to Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, it makes for a worse reading.

Mbappe boasts a dribble success rate 61% , while Dembele tops the charts with a completion rate of up to 72% in the minutes he has played.

Those numbers underline the extent of Vinicius’ struggles and go some way to explaining why Mourinho has been quick to substitute him in recent matches.

The Brazilian has been withdrawn in four consecutive games.

That said, recent reports still indicate that Mourinho rates the player highly and believes he can come back in the coming matches. Whether or not that happens shortly after the international break remains to be seen.