Neymar saw the growing gap between Real Madrid and Barcelona
Any Barcelona fans still wondering why Neymar left them for PSG need only look as far as Real Madrid. The Brazilian talisman turned his back on the Catalan giants because he realized just how far behind Real Madrid his club had fallen.
The difference in quality between the two sides was laid bare for the world to see in this season’s Supercopa de Espana. Real Madrid vanquished their arch rival with a dominant 5-1 win over both legs. In truth, the score line didn’t fully illustrate just how much better Zinedine Zidane’s squad was.
New Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde has quite a challenge ahead of him. He tried to put on a brave face in the aftermath of yesterday’s defeat, but his words rang hollow. Valverde admitted that his club were second best in the second leg of the competition, but he postulated that Barcelona deserved better in the opener. Perhaps he watched a different match than the rest of the world.
In fairness to Barcelona, losing Neymar so late in the transfer window certainly didn’t help them close the gap with Real Madrid. His presence in the squad certainly would have given Barca a fighting chance to keep up with their rivals offensively. As it happened, the duo of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez was unable to keep their club in either match.
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The biggest difference between the two La Liga rivals lies in their midfields. Real Madrid feature a very dynamic group including Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Casemiro, Isco and Mateo Kovacic. They made their counterparts look like statues across both legs. In particular, Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakitic really struggled to do anything against Zidane’s squad. It’s clear that Valverde and company desperately need to add dynamic midfield talent if they want to compete with Real Madrid.
Neymar is a lot of things, but he isn’t a fool when it comes to his football future. He could clearly see that Barcelona were losing ground to Real Madrid. Instead of sticking with his club to help close the gap, he chose to head to PSG for a fresh start. That reality can sting his former supporters at Barcelona, but it’s the wise move from a cold, rational sense.
Next: Barcelona must avoid Di Maria at all costs
Real Madrid won’t be able to dominate Barcelona forever, but they hold a significant edge at the current point in time. Their advantage over their bitter rivals was enough to cost Barcelona one of their most talented attackers. Neymar left Spain to avoid fighting an uphill battle against Los Blancos.