Neymar praises Flamengo and digs at Palmeiras: “Second best in Brazil” | OneFootball

Neymar admitted that Santos are behind compared to Flamengo and Palmeiras

Santos face a huge challenge next Wednesday (02) in the Copa do Brasil quarterfinals. After losing the first leg 3-0, Neymar’s team need to win by four goals at Vila Belmiro. Despite the difficult situation against Palmeiras, the forward said the responsibility lies entirely with the “second-best team in Brazil,” clearly suggesting that Flamengo are the country’s top side.

— Football has comebacks, it has extraordinary matches. Who knows, maybe that can happen on Wednesday? (…) We’re going there to enjoy ourselves. The responsibility will be entirely on the second-best team in Brazil, Palmeiras. The responsibility is theirs, and we’re going to enjoy ourselves on Wednesday at Vila —, he joked.

— Considering what Santos have become, unfortunately we are no longer a powerhouse in Brazilian football. Today, there are two powerhouse teams, and we know who they are (Flamengo and Palmeiras). We’re working hard to improve. I think Santos fans should expect a lot of commitment and dedication in every match —, Neymar added.

Neymar made the remarks right after a great performance from the number 10 against Corinthians at Neo Química Arena. Santos won 1-0 and moved away from the relegation zone. ‘Ney’ was even involved in the goal, hitting the post from a free kick. On the rebound, Oliva found the net past former Flamengo goalkeeper Hugo Souza.

THE TITLES

In short, the recent achievements of the two teams back up Neymar’s point. After all, Flamengo are the current Brazilian champions and also won the most recent Libertadores. In both competitions, Palmeiras finished as runners-up. On top of that, the two teams have dominated the race for the main trophies.

This season, Flamengo and Palmeiras are in the Libertadores quarterfinals. In the Brasileirão, the Mais Querido are four points behind the São Paulo side, but they could cut that gap to one this Wednesday (02). At 7:30 p.m. (Brasília time), the Rubro-Negro host Mirassol at the Maracanã in a rescheduled match from the fourth round of the Brasileirão.

AUTHOR’S OPINION

— Neymar only told the truth. That’s exactly how Santos should approach it, playing freely against Palmeiras. All the responsibility is on the team that won the first match 3-0. Any result other than Abel Ferreira’s side going through would be a huge surprise —, was therefore the opinion of Pedro Paulo Catonho, journalist for Coluna do Fla.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.