In moments of despair you look for heroes to stand up and be counted. You look towards your superstars to provide that moment of inspiration. You look for your leaders to drive your team forward. (Barcelona’s greatest night is Neymar’s finest hour!)
With 10 minutes to go everyone at the Nou Camp was looking at Lionel Messi to stand up and inspire his team. He has done it so many times that you have grown accustomed to a piece of Messi magic puling Barca through.
But Barca’s number 10 did not do that this around. He did not have a particularly great game himself. Luis Suarez, who was the driving force behind Barcelona’s La Liga triumph last season had a frustrating night as well.
But Neymar did step up.
A Frustrating season for Neymar !
It has been a frustrating season for Neymar. He was signed by Barcelona to one day take over from the great Messi as the king of Barcelona. While he has been brilliant for Barcelona over the years you just get the feeling that there is more to his locker.
The Neymar that plays for Brazil is not the same Neymar who plays in the Nou Camp. For Brazil, he is their hero, their undisputed king and champion who is adored by a football mad nation. (Barcelona’s greatest night is Neymar’s finest hour!)
For Barcelona he is one among the three kings at Barcelona. No matter how well he plays, Neymar will never be able to usurp Messi as the number one at Barca because the entire team is built to get the best out of the Argentine.
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Messi could not inspire Barca last night !
But last night was different. It is all good to score a huge number of goals and win matches for your team. But Messi has done much more than that for Barcelona.
He has stepped up to the plate countless times when Barca lacked inspiration. He was the best player on the pitch when Barcelona overturned a two goal deficit to beat Milan a few years ago.
He hobbled on one leg to inspire an insipid Barca team over PSG a couple of seasons ago. He has scored big goals in the biggest of matches to win Barca the trophies that they crave. But he wasn’t able to do so last night.
Luckily for Barca, Neymar did just that.
Samba Magic from Neymar !
First he scores an audacious free kick.
There aren’t many players in the world who would have tried such an attempt when you were so close to elimination and there was hardly any time left on the clock. Neymar had enough belief in himself to do so and he scored the goal that lit the spark.
Then Suarez won a controversial penalty in 91st minute. (Barcelona’s greatest night is Neymar’s finest hour!)
In what was a poignant moment, Messi left the stage for Neymar to score and create a barnstorming final few minutes at the Nou Camp.
Neymar obliged.
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The Neymar era is coming !
And then right at the death, Neymar rounds Veratti and dinks a beautiful ball on his weaker left foot which was met by Sergio Roberto to take Barca through to the quarter finals.
Not many players in the world would have had the presence of mind to shift the ball and then dink it in like Neymar did.
But that is what separates the best from the rest. Last night Neymar stood up when no one else did for Barcelona. It was different. It was new. And it was a long time coming.
History will remember last night as the first chapter towards the Samba king’s coronation as the best footballer in the world.
The Neymar era is coming. Fast.
