Brazilian superstar Neymar Junior was delegated the pre-match press conference duties by Paris Saint-Germain this Tuesday, ahead of their Champions League return leg against Real Madrid.
Formerly courted by Los Blancos himself before joining rivals Barcelona, Neymar is no stranger to the Santiago Bernabeu. After forming part of one of the best front lines in history with current Paris teammate Lionel Messi, there is plenty of narrative surrounding the tie. That is without invoking the ongoing transfer saga surrounding Kylian Mbappe.
Neymar remains confident that PSG are capable of not just defending their 1-0 lead from the first leg, but winning the match itself, as reported by Diario AS. Starting all three of the superstar trident won’t unbalance them either, according to Neymar.
“I don’t agree with that [idea]. If you want to compare, at Barcelona we played the same way. We attacked the same and defended in the same way. We will do the same as we did in Paris.”
He was also asked about the absence of compatriot Casemiro, who is suspended. How Real Madrid replace him is one of the big questions Ancelotti must answer.
“It won’t be easy. Real Madrid have many quality players. For me, Casemiro is the best in his position. Madrid will miss him, but it doesn’t matter to us, we have to play the match and win in the same way. They are used to playing with Casemiro, it’s better for us that he isn’t playing.”
On his return to the Bernabeu, Neymar was happy to recall his time playing there in LaLiga.
“I have good memories. I scored goals here, made assists, we played some beautiful matches. This stadium has an incredible history. Playing here is a pleasure for me and for everyone.”
Naturally, journalists were keen to touch on the case of Mbappe, who has been strongly linked to Real Madrid for years now.
“I think Kylian is fine. [It’s a motivation] not just for me, but for Leo it is also a special match because we have already played here with Barcelona. It’s also special for [Sergio] Ramos, who is with the team. It’s special for everyone.”
