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Lyon midfield star Lucas Paqueta has jumped to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star Neymar’s defense after he was booed by the club’s supporters. The 24-year-old has hailed his compatriot as an “incredible talent,” dubbing him as the best Brazilian player in the world right now.
PSG were subjected to a humiliating 3-1 Champions League second-leg defeat at the hands of Real Madrid on March 9. The crushing loss saw them crash out of the tournament with a 3-2 aggregate scoreline, pouring cold water on Paris’ Champions League ambitions.
The team’s two highest-paid players, Neymar and Lionel Messi, were toothless in front of goal that night, which didn’t sit well with fans. As a result, both former Barcelona stars were booed by Paris Saint-Germain fans when they took to the field to take on Bordeaux the next weekend.
When asked to comment on the incident, Paqueta revealed that Neymar was still recovering from his injury and backed him to do well with Brazil. Speaking at a news conference at Brazil’s training center, Paqueta said (via France 24):
"PSG were eliminated, so the press and fans are going to criticize him for that. But he's been recovering from injury [ankle]. He's getting stronger by the day, and I'm sure he's going to do a great job helping the Selecao.”
The 24-year-old hailed his skipper as the best Brazilian player in the world and added that it was a privilege to have him on the team.
He added:
“Neymar is above all a great person, a great professional, with incredible talent. He's without a doubt the best player on the Brazilian national team.
“It's a privilege to have him with us. When I've got Neymar at my side, I feel stronger, and my teammates too.”
The 30-year-old has featured in 21 games for PSG this season across all competitions, recording five goals and five assists.
PSG star Neymar needs a strong end to the season to silence critics
Since the start of the season, the Paris Saint-Germain no. 10 has faced a lot of criticism from fans and pundits. Famous French journalist Daniel Riolo (via Marca) recently slammed him for being unprofessional and arriving at training in a “sorry state.”
The Brazilian cannot undo what is already done, but he can certainly try to take a step in the right direction. Starting with the World Cup qualifiers with Brazil, the 30-year-old must start showing the quality everyone lauds him for.
He has to lead by example and help his country to wins against Chile and Bolivia in their two remaining qualifiers. When he returns to France after the break, he must find a way to be as influential in PSG’s colors as well.
A few goals and assists in the final stretch could not only give him confidence but also help mend his relationship with the club’s supporters.
