‘Neymar is the Justin Bieber of football. Brilliant on the old YouTube. Cat p*** in reality’.
Joey Barton’s harsh assessment in 2013 unsurprisingly did the rounds on social media but it inadvertently raised an important point about how the Brazilian is viewed.
He’s won a number of trophies, including five league titles across two of Europe’s ‘big five’ leagues. He also has a Champions League winners’ medal to boast and has won a number of individual accolades too.
But not everyone’s having him. talkSPORT’s Jason Cundy labelled Neymar as ‘overrated’ despite the player’s heroics for Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals.
The 28-year-old missed a hatful of chances but played a key role in PSG’s two late goals as they claimed a dramatic win over Atalanta.
Jamie O’Hara responded to Cundy’s claims about Neymar, saying the player is ‘on the same level as Lionel Messi’ and ‘would walk into any team in the world’.
Neymar will have the chance to prove himself to the doubters once more when PSG take on RB Leipzig in their semi-final clash tonight, a match you can listen to LIVE on talkSPORT, kick-off 8pm.
And these stats very much suggest that Neymar really doesn’t get the credit that he deserves.
Bearing in mind he’s had three different injuries over the last twelve months, including a ruptured ligament on his ankle, it’s amazing that he’s managed to score 13 Ligue 1 goals in just 15 appearances. That’s an average of 0.9 goals per 90 minutes, according to WhoScored.
He’s also provided six assists in the French top flight, which is an average of 0.4 assists per 90 minutes.
Neymar’s goal contributions at PSG
2017/18 goals and assists – 45 in 30 games
2018/19 goals and assists – 34 in 28 games
2019/20 goals and assists – 29 in 25 games
Total goals and assists – 108 in 83 games
But the naysayers will argue that he’s scoring in a ‘farmer’s league’, even though two of the four this season’s Champions League semi-finalists are from France.
However, his form on the European stage is impressive.
In five Champions League appearances, Neymar has scored three goals, meaning he has an average of 0.7 goals per 90 minutes.
Meanwhile, his three assists in the competition in 2019/20 means he has a 0.7 average per 90 minutes.
If PSG do get the trophy they’ve obsessed about in recent years, Neymar is one of the first people the club will thank.
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