Vinicius Junior was up to the task on Sunday, scoring a first-half hat-trick as Real Madrid defeated bitter rivals Barcelona 4-1 in the Spanish Super Cup.
The Brazilian star got off to a quick start in Saudi Arabia, putting his side ahead after just seven minutes. Near the halfway line, Jude Bellingham played a clever pass through traffic to Vinicius, who raced towards goal. Although his first touch was heavy, he was able to collect the ball with no one around him and beat Barcelona goalkeeper Inaki Pena to the ball from an angle.
He scored again three minutes later. Dani Carvajal's long pass down the right flank found Rodrygo, who made a run for the goal. Although he had a nice opening, he instead saw Vinicius Junior's well-timed run to his left and sent the ball his way to complete a brace from close range.
Vinicius Junior's third came in the 39th minute, when Ronald Araujo brought him down in the penalty area. The Real Madrid star curled the ball to his left and slid it into the net before Pena could do anything about it, making the score 3-1 after Robert Lewandowski had scored for the visitors.
Things got worse for Barcelona in the 72nd minute when Araujo was shown a second yellow card for kicking Vinicius Junior in the heels.
In winning their first trophy of the season, Real Madrid extended their unbeaten run to 21 games in all competitions and continue to make their case as one of the best teams in Europe this season. They will undoubtedly be looking to add to their trophy cabinet this season - they are in contention to win La Liga and are still in the Champions League and Copa del Rey this season.
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