No Neymar, so tough for PSG at Barca

BARCELONA • The last time Barcelona hosted Paris Saint-Germain, Neymar was part of one of the greatest comebacks in Champions League history.

The Catalan giants conceded four unanswered goals in the first leg of that 2016-17 last-16 tie but ran out 6-1 winners in the reverse leg, sparking delirious scenes at the Nou Camp.

There will be no fans today because of Covid-19 restrictions, as both sides meet for the first time since that memorable clash.

Nor will Neymar, who moved to PSG for a world-record €222 million (S$356 million) that summer, be part of the French side seeking revenge for what transpired four seasons earlier.

The Brazil forward suffered a groin injury following a tackle during last week's French Cup win at Caen and will be out for around a month.

Not only will Neymar, who along with injured teammate Angel di Maria was left out of PSG's travelling squad yesterday, be deprived of a reunion with his former club but he will also miss a last-16 match for the third time in four seasons since moving to Paris in 2017.

The French champions spent a fortune to capture the 29-year-old from Barca yet he has not been able to play when his team need him the most - a situation that has left him "very sad".

Ahead of PSG's trip to Barcelona, Neymar said: "For a while, I will once again have to stop doing the thing I most love in life, which is playing football.

"I dribble and I get hit constantly. It makes me very sad to have to listen to a player, a coach, a commentator or whoever the hell it is say, 'they have to kick him', 'he dives', 'crybaby', 'spoilt kid'.

"It saddens me and I don't know how much longer I can take it. I just want to be happy playing football. Nothing else."

PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino also revealed that Neymar was depressed at missing out on a long-awaited reunion with his good friend and Barca captain Lionel Messi.

5 Matches PSG have played at the Nou Camp (two draws, three losses) without winning in the Champions League.

"He's very sad. He was really looking forward to going to Barcelona. He loves Barcelona. He's a player who loves to play these games, he's made for them," the Argentinian added.

At his pre-match press conference, Barca coach Ronald Koeman yesterday expressed sympathy for Neymar's plight, even though his absence benefits the former's team. Calling for more protection from referees, he said: "We have to protect (flair) players like Neymar, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo because they make us all enjoy the game more.

"Referees need to protect them, even though this is a contact sport. The best matches are the ones when the best players in the world are on the pitch."

However, defender Jordi Alba expressed his relief he did not have to face his former teammate for the first time, saying that Neymar and di Maria's absence were "very important".

Barca have not progressed to the final since winning in 2014-15 and few are expecting Koeman's side to go all the way, as successive knockout humiliations by champions Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Roma remain fresh in the memory.

But the Dutchman believes their underdog status means they can spring a surprise on opponents who underestimate them.

"We have a lot of young players and so we can't expect to win the Champions League but we're in great form (seven straight wins in La Liga) and we can beat anyone," he said. "I don't think many teams are much better than Barca."

REUTERS

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