Neymar on the road to greatness

Neymar’s four-goal haul against Rayo Vallecano will finally see the Brazilian make headlines for the right reasons.

The forward likely stayed away from newsstands for the past few weeks as stories of tax evasion, illegal transfers, overzealous partying and possible moves to the Premier League were rampant in the media.

There was added pressure on the shoulders of the 23-year-old as he and Luis Suarez would have to continue supplying the goals and attacking threat in the absence of the talismanic Lionel Messi. And he did just that, letting his football do the talking and carrying the team on his back.

Neymar’s opening two came from the penalty spot, which can be easily discounted if glancing at the post-match statistics. He won both of the spot-kicks he scored, using his pace and skill to befuddle two Rayo defenders, who eventually brought him down. His nutmeg on Nacho Martinez in particular is another clip that will likely be added to his lengthy highlight reel.

It was a helter-skelter encounter, which favoured Neymar’s pace and attacking threat on the break. With the game at breakneck speed and the visitors pushing for an equaliser, he scored two goals in less than two minutes to kill off the game.

The first of the two was a rebound from a move Neymar initially created, and just a minute later, he easily tucked home a square pass from Suarez on the break to put Barca out of sight. Then, keen on returning the favour, he turned provider as his deep cross found the Uruguayan at the far post.

“I’m happy for the victory, the goals and how we played. Congratulations to all my teammates. It’s one of my best games for Barca, in the top 10 for sure,” he reflected after the game.

Scoring four goals in one match is as great a feat as it is uncommon, yet the former Santos star has done so five times already in his short career. He even hit five in a game for Peixe when he was still a sprightly 18-year-old.

But this was not the performance of a raw teenager, rather one of a player who has matured greatly during his time in Spain. After a tough baptism of firm, the attacker has developed into a seasoned goalscorer at the highest level.

With eight goals in seven matches, Neymar leads the race for the Pichichi. Such scoring exploits will need to continue if Barca hope to enjoy another clean sweep this season, starting with BATE Borisov in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Performances such as this without Messi are likely to provide Blaugrana fans hope that they can dominate not only in the Argentine’s temporary absence but also when he eventually hangs up his boots. He put the burden of goalscoring on his shoulders and stole the show just as Messi has done time and again.

Of course Messi is already a Barca legend and utterly irreplaceable, however Neymar is carving his own name too.

La Liga - Club News