Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Junior was caught giving Barcelona forward Ferran Torres a brutal put-down in his side's 4-0 Copa del Rey win at Camp Nou on Wednesday (April 5).
Vinicius was a standout performer for Les Merengues in a memorable El Clasico win that secured Madrid's place in the Copa del Rey final. The Brazilian attacker scored the opener and provided an assist for Karim Benzema to complete his hat-trick.
However, his excellent display wasn't without controversy as he drew the ire of several Barcelona players. Vinicius was shoved by Araujo as Real Madrid teammates tried to calm him down. However, Torres confronted the Brazilian in the 85th minute and started pointing his finger at the young attacker's face and making comments.
The Real Madrid wideman was riled up by Torres' antics and gave a brutal response to the Spaniard. He said (via Mundo Deportivo):
"Shut up, you're terrible!"
Vinicius was incensed by Barcelona players during the tense affair at Camp Nou and was already on a yellow card. His Real Madrid teammates were quick to calm him down to prevent the Brazilian from being given his marching orders. He clashed with Barca youngster Gavi in the first half, with both players receiving yellow cards for the ordeal.
Los Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti made the clever decision to substitute Vinicius seconds later for Dani Ceballos. Thus, he will be available for when Madrid face Osasuna in the Copa del Rey final on May 6.
Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo takes umbrage with Real Madrid's Vinicius
Barcelona defender Araujo was infuriated by Vinicius' exploits during the match, but not from a performance perspective. He was irritated by the Brazilian's fiery temper throughout the clash at the Camp Nou.
The Uruguayan said after the defeat to Real Madrid (via BarcaTimes):
"Vinicius needs to focus on playing football. He is a great player, but my head got a little hot tonight because he kept telling our players this and that throughout the match."
Vinicius has started to gain somewhat of a reputation for his hot-headedness this season in La Liga. Real Mallorca captain Antonio Jose Raillo made his feelings clear earlier in the season by suggesting he uses the race card (via Football-Espana):
“Vinicius who dances but does not miss, who does not insult and does not belittle his colleagues. Then when he is branded a provocateur, he uses the racism card.”
Raillo added that he doesn't think Vinicius will ever be viewed as a role model compared to his peers:
“If tomorrow I have to set an example for my son as a player, maybe I would put Modric or Benzema, but it would never be him.”