Vinicius Jr appears to mock Barcelona after Real Madrid win in El Clasico

Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr appeared to mock Barcelona on Instagram after Real Madrid’s 2-1 victory at Spotify Camp Nou reduced the gap between the two sides to three points in La Liga.

Unavailable for the match as he served a four-game suspension, the Real Madrid player shared the result on his personal account after Kylian Mbappe scored an 87th-minute winner.

Vinicius posted three laughing emojis, which were interpreted as a jibe at predictions that Barcelona would come out on top in the highly anticipated meeting.

He watched the match from outside the stadium after being suspended for an aggressive incident involving Nathan Saliba during Real Madrid’s game against Villarreal on Saturday, 10 October.

Real Madrid had taken the lead in the first half before Raphinha brought Barcelona level in the 61st minute. Mbappe then settled the contest late on, giving his side a significant boost and ending Barcelona’s hopes of extending their advantage at the top of the table.

The result was Real Madrid’s second successive victory over Barcelona this season and left them three points behind the La Liga leaders. Barcelona, meanwhile, suffered their second defeat in the space of one week, having also lost to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

Competition for Vinicius’ place

The performance of Yan Diomande could increase competition for a place on the wing and raise questions over Vinicius’ role when he returns from suspension.

It remains to be seen whether manager Jose Mourinho will restore him to the starting line-up or use him as a substitute capable of changing the course of matches.

Vinicius still has two matches left to serve before he is eligible to play for Real Madrid again. His social media reaction came as the club claimed a valuable away victory and closed the gap on their Catalan rivals.