Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid: 5 Factors that could decide the outcome of Madrid Derby

#1 Vinicius or Bale: The left-wing conundrum

Vinicius Junior's blistering pace and aesthetically pleasing gameplay cover up for the fact that he has been poor at making final-third passes and choosing the right option.

Now, why is that a conundrum? Because it is one and it is not just about Bale being sub-par, it is also about Vinicius lacking maturity. Yes, many fans would curse Bale for missing that shot at open goal against Barcelona. But look, what makes you think that Vinicius Junior, 18-year-old, not the best of long-range strikers, would have hit the open net without taking a touch, especially when he had missed 4 shots already.

Make no mistake, Bale should have hit it. But one miss is no reason for saying that Vinicius must have hit that and thus 'Bye, Bye, Bale'. Bale is a seasoned campaigner and deserves some respect. So whom do you start now?

Bale, who is low on confidence surely, but also has the experience of playing in pressure matches. Or Vinicius, who is not low on confidence, but still had an awful game against Barcelona, completing only 1 dribble and making 46% passes. If we look clearly, Vinicius failed to make two to three easy passes that could have led to a goal, but Bale's miss was the only thing that people spotted.

Vinicius' horrific pass percentage gives you the best picture. He made only 11 passes in the game. 11 passes from a winger and still only 46% success. First of all, that is a lot less number of passes than you expect a winger to attempt. Secondly, your precision has to be high when attempting a low number of passes to make up for it.

So who seems worse now? Surely. you would say Bale is, but Vinicius too is just a young kid and when under pressure his numbers read as horrific as those given above. Now just because he dribbled past Pique once doesn't make his performance great. His pace and confidence while taking opponents on hides the fact that he lacks clarity in the final third.

It's up to Solari as to who would start. He must have two things in mind. One who starts here should rest against Ajax. But what if the one who starts delivers a masterclass? Then does he start against Ajax? Also, who does Solari bank on starting against Ajax irrespective of the performance in the Madrid Derby? Only the Los Blancos coach knows the answer.