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Neymar Jr gives shocking Virgil van Dijk verdict as he names the toughest opponent he has ever faced
Neymar Jr gives shocking Virgil van Dijk verdict as he names the toughest opponent he has ever faced
The Brazilian superstar Neymar Jr has showered praise on Reds defender Van Dijk but stopped short of naming him as the toughest he’s ever faced
Neymar has talked about how difficult it is to play against the “powerful and intelligent” Virgil Van Dijk.
Virgil Van Djik (photo by Getty images)
Van Dijk, a defender for Liverpool, has recently faced criticism for a decline in performance that coincided with a string of defeats for the Reds.
On Wednesday night, the Dutchman was a part of the backline that was torn apart in Naples as Napoli won 4-1 in the opening match of the Champions League group stages.
However, the 31-year-old has made a name for himself as one of the top defenders since joining for £75 million in January 2018, which was a then-record sum for a defender.
And current Paris Saint-Germain winger Neymar explained exactly why the Reds defender is so hard to play against.
“Playing against Van Dijk is tough because as a centre-back, he’s so strong and intelligent,” Neymar told DAZN Canada.
“He knows when it’s the right time to close you down and when to go in for a tackle.
“That makes it harder. He’s intelligent. It’s harder to play against intelligent centre-backs. They don’t make mistakes.”
However, the Brazilian star chose Kyle Walker of Manchester City as the toughest defender he has ever faced rather than Van Dijk.
Neymar characterized the England international as ‘quick, muscular and intelligent.’
