Vinicius or Mbappe? Who is performing better this season?

Vinicius Junior's double at the weekend against Elche was further ammunition for those who see him as one of the top young stars in the game and has led some to compare him to Kylian Mbappe.

The French forward is 18 months older and certainly more established than Vinicius already with clear cut credentials and arguably one of the best players in the world already. That said, many now believe that Vinicius will join him as one of the stars who will dominate the next decade of football.

The Brazilian, 21, has taken a leap this season, beginning to look like a real difference maker on a regular basis and his numbers back up his improved performances.

Vinicius has nine goals (seven in LaLiga Santander, two in the Champions League) and three assists in 2021/22 and has a an 85 percent pass accuracy to go with three man of the match awards.

Mbappe, in the other corner, has six goals (five in Ligue 1, one in the Champions League) and six assists. His passing accuracy is 83.5 percent and he's been named man of the match four times.

Both young stars have very similar numbers and there's not much to choose between them from a statistical standpoint.

Mbappe is undoubtedly a more rounded and developed player, but Vinicius' progression has been impressive this year and you can only wonder where it might lead.