Rivaldo: Comparing Barcelona with last year is too early, and letting Vinicius substitute is not a punishment

A few days ago, Rivaldo talked about Barcelona and Real Madrid in an interview with Betfair, where he served as brand ambassador.

Rivaldo said: "Barcelona won the league and cup championship last year. Everything that happens will be compared with last year. It's normal. But it's really too early. Yes, they tied with Vallecano, okay, but the critics have wanted to compare it to last year. Personally, I think Barcelona is strong and they are all favorites in all the competitions they will participate in."

"The team has just started, and important events are about to start soon, like the Champions League. That will change the situation. Barcelona is Barcelona, ​​and they are used to pressure and criticism. I don't think this is a problem."

For Real Madrid, Rivaldo praised Jang the way that Xavi Alonso manages Vinicius: "I don't think that's a punishment. (Against Real Oviedo) This time the substitute was to inspire Vinicius' best form. It's a strategy to grow him further. And it's working. He's starting to score goals."

"Xavi Alonso is a great coach, but he's also a great player. He knows very well what a player like Vinicius is thinking. He knows sometimes it needs to make some adjustments to big players. But Xavi Alonso, like all coaches, always wants players to perform best. He knows it's important to be vinicius and how to inspire his best performance."