Barcelona manager, Xavi Hernandez, has called on referees to protect Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr.

He compared Vinicius Junior to Neymar, who once played for Barca.

Vinicius has been a menace for LaLiga defenders and has drawn some very heavy challenges.

Xavi believes he deserves more protection than he currently receives.

“Vinicius, who is very good one-on-one, causes the opponent to be more aggressive.

“That also happened with Neymar. There is a referee and a committee that must do their job,” Xavi said.

Vinicius started the season in fine form, netting in five consecutive games, but his form has dropped slightly in recent months.

Since the World Cup, he has scored just one goal in the league.