Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar Jr. is one of the best footballers in the world when healthy. In an interview with GOAL, Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly explained why the Brazilian is one of the more challenging attackers he’s faced in his career.
Koulibaly had a chance to defend Neymar in 2018 when Napoli and the French giants faced off in the UEFA Champions League group stage. Both matches resulted in draws, but the 31-year-old left an impression on the veteran defender after those two contests.
“I faced Neymar when I played against Paris Saint-Germain,” Koulibaly told GOAL. “He’s amazing with the ball, tricks everything, really intelligent. He dribbled a lot. He [has] a good passing, good shooting. You know, that’s why he’s is one of the best …
“When he comes on you with the ball, it’s really hard to take the ball. So you just have to bring on one side and try for him to be close on one side because it’s difficult to take [the ball away].”
There’s no doubt that Neymar is a talented player, but what keeps him from entering the GOAT conversation is his inability to stay healthy. Here’s hoping that he will remain fit after his season-ending ankle injury so football fans can enjoy his talent.