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Real Madrid full-back Daniel Carvajal has labelled Neymar Jr. as the toughest forward he has ever faced in his seven years at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Carvajal was all praise for the Paris Saint-Germain forward, calling him an 'elusive' player who knows how to attack spaces with his technical brilliance.
Carvajal and Neymar rubbed shoulders against each other during El Clasicos between 2013 and 2017. The latter was a key cog in Barcelona's victories back then, and is perhaps one of the few players to have got the better of the world-class Carvajal over the years.
Also read: Real Madrid Transfer News: Los Blancos agree terms with Benfica for Mariano Diaz loan deal
"It is difficult to defend him" - Real Madrid's Carvajal
Most recently, Neymar and Carvajal also met when Real Madrid took on PSG in the Champions League group stage back in November.
Karim Benzema's brace had Real Madrid in the driver's seat until 80 minutes, before quick-fire goals from Kylian Mbappe and Pablo Sarabia helped the French champions snatch a point off Zinedine Zidane's men.
Real Madrid's Carvajal lavished praise on Neymar's combative style of play, stating that he has been the toughest opponent to defend against. The right-back said:
"Neymar is the striker who has been the hardest to defend. He is a very elusive player, technically very good. He attacks space, he is going to ask for it, he can score. It is difficult to defend him."
Carvajal also went on to hail Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane, who has landed a whopping 11 major honours across his two spells at the club.
Pointing out Zidane's sense of calm and his infectious nature, the Real Madrid defender exclaimed:
"His greatest virtue is the tranquillity that he transmits to us. He never alters and, whether things go right or wrong, he keeps his composure."
Carvajal added:
"That is something that gives the players a lot of peace of mind. In addition, his strong point is that he trusts the squad a lot. He makes us feel that we can all contribute, and that makes his team a winning team. I have won many titles with him, and I learn from his experience daily."
Zidane's mentality, squad management and shrewd tactics have certainly translated into trophies for Real Madrid. 10 wins on the bounce post lockdown steered them to the La Liga title as they leapfrogged Barcelona.
Neymar too has been among the domestic titles in France. His PSG side fell short in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich a few days ago, losing narrowly by 1-0 to miss out on the crown that they have yearned for for so long.
While Carvajal and Real Madrid are about to commence pre-season training, Paris Saint-Germain are set to begin their title defence against Lens on September 10.
