LALIGA El Clasico: Vinicius the pick of young talents eager to be the game changer

SINGAPORE — It has been two years since either Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi graced El Clasico - the monumental league clash between LALIGA giants Real Madrid and Barcelona. Now, a new generation of top football talents are vying to make their name as match winners in Spanish football's biggest game.

Barca will host their arch-rivals in the first El Clasico clash of the season on Saturday (28 October), and while they are unbeaten in 10 LALIGA matches, they are one point adrift of Real Madrid, co-leaders at the top of the league table with surprising Girona.

Ahead of the highly-anticipated clash, former Barca and Real stalwart Javier Saviola - now an assistant coach for the Barcelona Under-19 team - praised both sides for their willingness to hand the teams' reins over to young players, and predicts that one of them could be the decisive factor in the outcome of the match.

"I think El Clasico is still a marquee event even without Ronaldo or Messi. Both teams have different styles and have some of the most talented players in the world in their ranks. It will be another even contest this time around," said the 41-year-old during a virtual conference call on Thursday.

Host of youngsters set to shine for both clubs

The Argentinian believes that a host of youngsters are set to shine for defending champions Barcelona, such as Lamine Yamal, Alex Balde, Marc Casado, Marc Guiu and Fermin Lopez. However, the player with the potential to be the biggest threat is Real winger Vinicius Junior.

“I think Vinicius will be the most difficult player for Barcelona to stop. In all the Clasicos that he’s competed in, he’s been the protagonist. He’s among the top five players in the world," he told Yahoo Southeast Asia.

"(Jude) Bellingham, of course, is also very important for Real Madrid along with Vinicius. He’s playing at a very high level and it’s not just about the number of goals he’s scoring, he simply looks like such a complete player at such a young age.

"As for Barca, Joao Felix has had some fitness issues but if he plays, I think he could hold the key for Barcelona. He has the skills to trouble the best players in the world and will need to deliver a big performance."

Saviola played for Barcelona from 2001 to 2007, and Real from 2007 to 2009. Who among his teammates has been the most outstanding player among the star-studded squads amassed by the two Spanish giants?

His answer was predictable, as he said, "I saw Messi play when he was just a kid and not even a professional yet. He was always special, the things he could do on the pitch were out of this world. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s the greatest player of all time.”

Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube.