The night that Neymar can overtake Ronaldinho...
The Brazilian star can better his compatriot's European goals record if he scores in Germany
Neymar’s contribution to Barcelona’s collective success in recent seasons in indisputable, to the point that he’s become one of the best foreign players in the club’s history. His performances and his statistics do the talking. His football is special, magic and personal, just like Ronaldinho’s in his five years at Camp Nou.
Both men have a lot in common, like self-confidence when it comes to playing, an ability to stand up to challenges, a certain amount of cheek… and goals. Ronaldinho left Barcelona in the 2007-08 season with two league titles and a Champions League. In just three seasons, Neymar’s equalled his compatriot, with the small difference of winning consecutive doubles.
In European competitions, Ronaldinho scored a total of 18 goals spread between the UEFA Cup and the Champions League. Neymar’s matched that number, but they have all come in the Champions League. One of the goals came in the final, too, against Juventus in 2014.
Therefore, if the former Santos man is on target at the Borussia Arena on Wednesday, he will move ahead of Ronaldinho in European goals for Barça. However, he will still be a long way away from the mark set by another Brazilian in Catalonia: Rivaldo. The man from Pernambuco scored 31 goals in European competitions for the club.
