Vinicius Junior: Real Madrid Star Hails Barcelona Defender as Toughest Player Ever Faced

• Vinicius Junior has locked horns against some of the best defenders
• But the Real Madrid star has picked Barcelona's Ronald Araujo as the toughest
• Vinicius Junior was named Man of the Match against Chelsea

Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior has named Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo as the toughest defender he has ever come up against.

The Brazilian winger was once again the standout performer for Los Blancos against Chelsea, delivering a Man of the Match display by setting up both of his team's goals on the night.

Speaking after the game, the 22-year-old was quizzed as to who was the toughest defender he had come up against throughout his career.

"The best defender I have ever faced is Ronald Araujo," Vinicius said, via ESPN. He's very strong and very good. That's why he plays for Barca." 

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Vinicius vs Araujo

The duo have engaged in captivating duels in recent El Clasico encounters, with Barca manager Xavi Hernandez deploying Araujo as a right-back to counter the threat posed by the Brazilian forward.

Having crossed swords on a number of occasions, Vini Junior won the latest round in Real Madrid’s 4-0 win at Camp Nou, Yahoo Sports reported.

However, before that, the Blaugrana defender had put three wins on the bounce together.

Vinicius destroys James

Sports Brief had earlier reported that Vinicius Junior put up a masterclass performance against Chelsea, helping Real Madrid beat the Blues in the first leg of their quarterfinal tie on Wednesday night.

The zippy winger played a crucial role in Madrid's win while finally triumphing in the battle of wills against Reece James after the Englishman had proven to be a tough nut to crack in their previous encounters.

It was definitely a night to forget for James, who was shown 'no respect' by Vinicius, literally going past him in their 1v1 battles with ease, per Givemesport.