After finishing last season as one of Barcelona’s most important players, Jules Kounde has had a more perplexing campaign this time around.
The Frenchman was notably benched for the first two matches of the season, as Hansi Flick preferred Eric Garcia in the right-back role.
Things have normalised since, with Kounde starting six of the last seven matches. But it is clear that the right-back is under pressure to perform, especially given Barcelona’s defensive lapses this season.
A stern test against Vinicius Junior
Kounde will face a litmus test of sorts in this weekend’s El Clasico as he will be tasked with the responsibility of stopping Real Madrid ace Vinicius Jr.
As mentioned earlier, the Frenchman has struggled to replicate the consistency of last season. While he has offered Flick continuity in defence, his displays have been inconsistent.
He has had lapses with regard to his positioning and has offered minimal attacking threat. He has yet to register an assist this term and has won only 62% of his duels.
Keeping that in mind, stopping Vinicius will not be easy, especially given the fact that the Brazilian appears to have found his rhythm and consistency once again.
It was a difficult start to the season for the Brazilian international. But he has been extremely consistent in the last few weeks, even emerging as one of Real Madrid’s best-performing attackers alongside Kylian Mbappe.
Vinicius’ partnership with Mbappe has been particularly impressive and could pose a problem for someone like Kounde, who has just recovered from a knock and might find it difficult at the Bernabeu.
But while Kounde will face a stern test against Vinicius this weekend, the same applies to Real Madrid defender Alvaro Carreras, who will be tasked with the responsibility of stopping Lamine Yamal.
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