The “secret friendship” of Ronald Araujo and Vinicius Jr revealed as pair prepare to face off in El Clasico

Ronald Araujo and Vinicius Jr’s battles have become a staple of El Clasico of late, with the pair having faced off three times in the last four meetings between Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Araujo, who typically plays in central defence but is utilised as a right back against Real Madrid to counteract Vinicius’ threat, has been very successful in his meetings against the Brazilian international, and he will look to be on the winning side again this weekend.

The pair are fierce competitors on the field, but off of it, MD have revealed that they are friendly to each other. Araujo is fluent in Portuguese, having grown up Rivera, a city in Uruguay that borders Brazil. As such, they are well acquainted, and Araujo even sent Vinicius a birthday message when the latter turned 22 last July.

Speaking to ESPN (via Diario AS), Araujo was very complimentary towards Vinicius, furtherly proving the friendliness between the pair.

“For me today, Vinicius is number one in one-on-one situations. He’s a very good player, and obviously, it’s difficult (for me), but I work to be able to give my best in games like this. I’m glad things have gone well so far.”

It promises to be a thrilling battle between Barcelona and Real Madrid on Sunday, and the outcome of the match at the Camp Nou could very well be defined by the battle between Araujo and Vinicius.