Why Neymar has plenty to do before bettering Kaká’s Champions League legacy – despite closing in on a Brazilian record

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In a stunning display, Neymar powered PSG to obliterate Red Star Belgrade 6-1.

The Brazilian bagged a brilliant hat-trick to take him up to 30 goals in the Champions League. That draws him level with Kaka’s record of 30 goals scored by a Brazilian in Europe’s top competition A phenomenal achievement at just 26. Yet… everyone loved Kaka, and not everyone loves Neymar despite him being a more dynamic and skilful player than the Milan man ever was.

Neymar is the second best player in the world. He’s been stuck in that spot since 2015 when M-S-N was born and he helped fire Barcelona to a spectacular second Treble. He is so obviously better than everyone on the planet except Leo Messi, so on one level it’s almost understandable that he sought a move away from the Argentine to try and break out on his own.

But that move to PSG has put him in a frustrating position where the number of relevant games he’s playing in one season can be counted on one hand. It’s not that Ligue 1 is a “farmer’s league” but it is a competition which PSG have an all but unbreakable monopoly on. Domestic trebles are a common thing for PSG, so anything he does in France is mere window dressing.

Where he will be judged is the Champions League, in particular against the big sides in the Champions League. This is why Kaka’s status is so relevant. Kaka was consistently incredible in Europe’s premiere competition.

With Kaka at the centre of Milan’s attack, the Rossoneri were the best or second best team in Europe (along with Frank Rijkaard’s Barcelona) from 2003 to 2007. In that time they won one Champions League title, but it should have been three. Only their epic meltdowns against Deportivo in 2004 (from 4-1 up to 5-4 down) and Liverpool in 2005 (3-0 up to 3-3 and a penalty shootout defeat) prevented a dynastic era.

This is the benchmark upon which Neymar has to measure himself, and thus far he’s coming up short.

Yes, Neymar was part of one of the Champions League’s most devastating front threes in Barcelona, but as the lead man he has been largely underwhelming. Frustrating, even. There have been moments of absolutely mesmeric magic, as we saw tonight against Red Star.

Neymar was at his superhuman best against the Serbian side. After a slow start he came to life, opening the scoring with a superb free-kick. He then bagged his second just over two minutes later (his fastest brace since he did it for Barcelona against PSG in the 6-1) and began toying with Red Star in a brutal way.

Everything was done at pace, everything was laser-focused on scoring a goal. He didn’t dally on the ball, he drove it foreward and repeatedly thrust it into the heart of Red Star. There was even time for some party tricks, like when he murdered poor Milos Degenek live on TV with a sensational nutmeg.

When he stood over a free-kick late in the second half, with Julian Draxler waiting to come on, you knew what would happen. Neymar thumped the free-kick into the back of the net and walked off to a standing ovation. An absolute masterclass from the Brazilian to take apart a team that had not lost in their last 34 games across all competitions.

But this is the frustrating thing bout Neymar. He can decimate sides like Red Star Belgrade, tearing them to shreds with pace and skill; but in the big games he so often retreats into the wishy washy nonsense that is him at his worst. Slowing the ball down, taking too many touches and overplaying instead of keeping things simple.

In matchday one against Liverpool, with the exception of one great run which accidentally became a great assist for Kylian Mbappé, Neymar was anonymous at Anfield. Pocketed superbly by Trent Alexander-Arnold. And last season against Real Madrid in the round of 16, Neymar delivered such a gutless performance in the Santiago Bernabeu that you have to see it to believe it.

Neymar had the beating of every Madrid defender, but did he ever take advantage of that fact? Did he ever take the ball and push the tempo hard enough to hurt Los Blancos? No. He used the ball dismally, making the wrong decision almost every single time, and PSG ended up losing. It was so disappointing, but kind of summed Neymar’s PSG career up so far.

Compare this to Kaka, a player who always showed up in the big games, at the big moments. Even in Milan’s epic collapses, Kaka was still great (and hugely responsible for giving them the leads they threw away). And in their highs?

He was colossal as Milan powered their way to Champions League glory in 2007, scoring 10 goals including a epic extra time winner against Celtic and a brilliant three goals against Manchester United in the semi-final, including two at Old Trafford.

Forget the goal record, that is the level Neymar has to reach. The level where he truly dominates the biggest opponents and bends the competition to his will. Reaching that level is the only way he will truly surpass Kaka and justify his decision to leave Leo Messi’s shadow in Barcelona to create his own legacy in Paris.

The post Why Neymar has plenty to do before bettering Kaká’s Champions League legacy – despite closing in on a Brazilian record appeared first on Squawka News.



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