Dissecting Vinicius Jr.'s performance against FC Barcelona- The 18-year-old announces his arrival to the world

Vinicius Jose Paixao de Oliveira Junior proved that he is not just a mere 18-year-old boy. More commonly known as Vinicius Jr., who cost €45 million when he was just 16, yet again showed what he can offer to the European champions Real Madrid in their latest encounter against FC Barcelona in Camp Nou.

It was obviously a huge feat for the 18-year-old to break into the starting line up against Barcelona in semi-finals of Copa Del Rey. He worthily kept someone like Gareth Bale out, which speaks volumes about his calibre, and at the moment, the Brazilian youngster is living up to every penny paid.

Vinicius Jr. paid no heed to the mammoth pressure surrounding the fixture. He was not nervous but was rather composed and the pressure didn't bother him at all as he looked in his usual, relentless self at the Camp Nou. He was the kid everyone talked about at school, academy and his boyhood club and it is obvious that the youngster is accustomed to performing under pressure.

It is true that the 18-year-old Brazilian could have made better choices in the final third and, if he had, Los Blancos would be in a better position right now. But he proved that he should not be taken lightly despite being 18 years old, as he has been doing well under the tutelage of Santiago Solari in the current season.

Vinicius Jr. had the game's first chance early on but his touch let him down. His constant dribbling, unending will to chase the ball and get it on his feet and his connection with Karim Benzema was a cause of concern for Barcelona and it was his connection with the Benzema and Lucas Vasquez which resulted in a goal in just 6th minute.

He was lively on the left flank in the first half, constantly combining with Karim Benzema to switch the play to the centre. His dribbling kept Nelson Semedo from focusing on overlaps and Vinicius was the reason why Semedo saw the yellow card.

Moreover, it took huge work from Barcelona veteran centre back, Gerard Pique, to stop Vinicius Junior as he was drawn out from his position on three occasions and as evident, Nelson Semedo was troubled by the presence of the relentless Brazilian.

There is no doubt that Vinicius' accuracy in the box and decision making need loads of improvement but anyone criticizing him should remember it was the 18-year-old's first big match in Europe and the boy clearly showed the audacity and capability to match the hype surrounding him. Vinicius quite clearly depicted why Los Blancos' improvement has been synonymous with his good performances and his inclusion in the squad.

Vinicius Junior fought with passport issues which delayed his move to Spain and he was kept waiting by former boss Julen Lopetegui for minutes in the first team. Surely, he will only improve as a player with age on his side but the most important thing is that the Brazilian boy is showing courage and mentality to match his calibre on the pitch and survive on the chaotic waters of the Santiago Bernabeu.