Vinicius looks out over the vermilion volcano

After coming out unscathed on Thursday from a brutal attack committed by Gabriel Paulista in the lawsuit against Valencia that allowed Real Madrid to continue fully involved in the fight for the League, Vinicius will head the bill at Son Moix. The absence of Benzema transfers the status of flagship of the whites to the Brazilian in a venue that aims to be a volcano for the extreme as a result of what happened on September 11.

That Sunday, also at vermouth time, the carioca had a hard time with several Mallorca footballers, especially Antonio Raíllo, and with the vermilion coach. The continuous scuffles raised the tone of a match played at the Santiago Bernabéu that was resolved in favor of the locals 4-1 and that left several notable notes: Valverde billed one of the great goals of the season, Hazard signed his epitaph in the ‘ white house’ with a disappointing performance, Rodrygo raised his price as a false nine and Vinicius fed a black legend that haunts him.

«Vinicius commits a lot of disrespect on the field. May he dance, but may he not insult and belittle his fellow professionals. Then, when he is branded as a provocateur, he uses the wild card of racism, “said a Raíllo days after that tense confrontation that added fuel to the fire this week. “If I have to set an example for my children tomorrow, I will put Modric, Benzema, but never him,” said the Mallorca captain in Dazn, before a new duel in the sun with the player who receives the most fouls in La Liga: 69, at a rate of 3.63 per game.

Gabriel Paulista’s treacherous kick once again put Ancelotti on his guard, fearful that the toughness of the rivals would end up sending his most unbalancing and restless element to the infirmary due to the disconnections that Vinicius suffers with some regularity due to his flammable character. “For me he is a great footballer. Youngsters like this type of player, with quality and so spectacular with the ball. My grandchildren all have the Vinicius shirt, all four of them. And they don’t want another one, “he asserted in the preview of another fiery clash in which Real Madrid seeks to put pressure on Barça, but that the whites face in the box and with little rest time.

Under minimum

Ancelotti complained about having to play two games in less than 72 hours before facilitating a call for just 19 players. The good news is the return of Alaba. The Austrian has not dressed in shorts since January 7, when a penalty by the center-back that would never have had a place in the old football catechism sealed the shipwreck of Real Madrid at the Estadio de la Cerámica. Ancelotti is not likely to recruit him from the start, but his return is considerable relief for a defense that has been decimated by injuries to Mendy, Lucas Vázquez and Militao. Benzema and Hazard were also left out of the expedition. The French striker is irreplaceable; the Belgian winger, a hopeless case.

Javier Aguirre assumes the caliber of casualties that his adversary presents. “It is not an anecdotal fact because Benzema was the best player in the world last year since he won the Ballon d’Or. He is a player who is breaking goalscoring records at Real Madrid, which is no small thing. He is the captain and a bulwark. Militao is also important,” stressed the Mexican who, however, pointed out: “They are Madrid and they will play with eleven world-class cracks.”

Mallorca visited the Bernabéu on matchday five with five points in their locker and left the whites with a unit advantage over the team that marked the border of relegation. Since then, they have become one of the revelations of the season, although they have lost steam after the World Cup in Qatar. Accumulate three defeats in the last five games. Despite this, Vasco sees the glass as half full. «The sensations are good because after the setback in Cádiz I think we have reflected. We saw what we did wrong and let’s hope it doesn’t happen again. They are good feelings, but Madrid always makes it difficult for you, whether at home or away, they are the favourites. Surely we will suffer, but I have good feelings, yes, “he said on the eve of a match for which he only has the loss due to Copete’s sanction. Vinicius, by the way, is aware. There is a fire warning.