Vinicius aiming to end goalless record against Achilles heel Athletic

BeSoccer 1 month ago 7k |

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Vinicius Junior has never scored a goal against Athletic Club. BeSoccer

As Real Madrid host Athletic Club at the Bernabeu on Sunday night, Vinicius Junior will be aiming to end his goalless record after failing to find the back of the net in 12 encounters with the Basque side.

Real Madrid return to La Liga action after their humbling Champions League quarter-final exit at the hands of Arsenal midweek, as they host Athletic Club at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday night. Vinicius Junior will particularly be eager for the Basque side's visit to the Spanish capital, as he will be looking to end his goalless record against them.

The Brazilian star has already met Athletic Club 12 times between La Liga, Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup games, but has still failed to find the back of the net against them. He could have broken the streak on his third encounter back in 2020/21, however, his goal ended up being ruled out. The same happened last season, in 2023/24, with his disallowed goal sealing a 1-1 draw between the two teams.

As of right now, the Bilbao outfit top the list of clubs that have managed not to concede against Vinicius, with Getafe following behind in second after keeping the 24-year-old winger at bay on 8 occasions. Cadiz (5) and Eibar (4) are other Spanish sides that Vinicius has scored zero goals against after more than three appearances against them. Elsewhere in Europe, Chelsea (6) and Inter Milan (4) are his main enemies.

Precisely when Vinicius faces Athletic Club on home soil is when Real Madrid tend to struggle the most. Of the four meetings the No. 7 has had with 'Los Leones' at the Bernabeu, his 'Merengues' team have only managed to win two of them, with the two remaining ending up in draws. Another curious statistic is that only on two out of the 12 total occasions did Vini play the full 90 minutes.

Considering the ongoing season, the Brazil international has scored 20 goals so far, finding himself only four behind last season's tally with six games to go until the end of the term. Should he continue with the same rhythm, Vinicius Jr should be able to surpass the 24-goal mark and register, statistically, the best season of his career with 'Los Blancos'. That said, he remains 13 goals away from Kylian Mbappe's total of 33.