‘ Pretender’ Neymar faces ‘ master’ Ronaldo
Madrid, Feb. 13: With Cristiano Ronaldo on one side and Neymar on the other, Wednesday’s heavyweight Champions League showdown between Real Madrid and Paris SaintGermain sees two of the game’s biggest global superstars collide.
Ronaldo, the current world player of the year, has rediscovered something like his best form just at the right time for Real. PSG are placing their hopes in Neymar, the world’s most expensive player and a Ballon d’Or winner of the future, as they chase the European glory.
The Brazilian left Barcelona for Paris to step out of Lionel Messi’s shadow. But, exactly seven years Ronaldo’s junior, he is already being talked about in the Spanish capital as a possible successor to the Portuguese.
So far Neymar’s route to the Ballon d’Or has been blocked by the MessiRonaldo duopoly — they have won the prize five times each in the last 10 years. If Neymar inspires PSG to victory in this tie, and then on to glory in the final in May, he will stand a good chance of ending their domination.
But while Ronaldo turned 33 last Monday, he is far from finished.
A weekend hat- trick in a 5- 2 win over Real Sociedad took him to seven goals in his last four league outings. Suddenly, ‘ CR7’ now has 23 goals in all competitions this season, more than at the same stage a year ago.
Neymar’s first six months in France have at times been overshadowed by reports of an uneasy relationship with Edinson Cavani, the club’s all- time record goal- scorer. Doubts are still raised about how much the French scene motivates him, too. But Neymar can almost do and say what he wants, as long as his performances on the field. And he is delivering on the pitch, scoring a goal a game in a Paris shirt.