McManaman predicts a 3-1 Real win in El Clasico, fears the absence of Vinicius
Ahead of the first El Clasico of the current season, former Real Madrid star Steve McManaman has given his prediction. His forecast is that Real Madrid will score three goals against Barcelona at the Nou Camp.
McManaman made the remarks in an interview with the 365 Scores platform. The Sport newspaper published a report based on those comments. His prediction has therefore entered the discussion before El Clasico.
McManaman, who won two La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues with Real, even gave a direct scoreline. He said: ‘I hope Real Madrid will win 3-1, let us see what happens.’
Yet he is not completely certain about his own prediction. In his words: ‘This match always proves predictions wrong. It is going to be a very tough match. Because both teams have the ability to decide a big match.’
The former winger played for Real from 1999 to 2003. From that experience he knows that in a match like El Clasico, calculations on paper often do not match what happens on the field.
According to McManaman, not having Vinicius Junior in this match could be a big blow for the Madrid club. He believes the Brazilian star's absence could directly affect Real's attack.
Explaining Vinicius's strength, he said the forward can change the course of a match at any moment with his pace and his ability in one-on-one duels with defenders. Real will not have that weapon this time.
McManaman also believes Kylian Mbappe will struggle to adjust to Vinicius's absence. He has no doubt about Mbappe's ability, but the problem is that the two are completely different types of player.
In his words: ‘Mbappe has a lot of ability. But they are two different players. All of Vinicius's qualities cannot be replaced by bringing in another player in his place.’ In other words, changing the name will not make the role the same.
All in all, although Real are ahead in McManaman's eyes, he himself has acknowledged the uncertainty of El Clasico. Supporters now wait to see how far his 3-1 prediction matches what happens on the field.
