Carvajal names 'elusive' Neymar as his toughest opponent

Dani Carvajal has highlighted Neymar’s strengths while admitting that the Brazilian is the player he has most struggled to defend against.

Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal has enjoyed a wealth of success ever since joining the club in 2013.

Carvajal, a product of Real Madrid’s youth academy, joined Bayer Leverkusen on a five-year deal in 2012 in search of consistent minutes.

However, he returned to Santiago Bernabeu just a year later after the Spanish giants activated his €6.5 million release clause after he impressed during his spell in Bundesliga.

The 28-year old right-back has since been a pillar in the team and has guided them two La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies, among several other honors.

In his 250+ matches for the club, he has faced some of Europe’s most talented players such as Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Robert Lewandowski, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar.

And Carvajal names Paris Saint Germain’s Neymar, who he most recently came up against in the 2019/20 Champions League group stages, as the man he has never quite been able to get to grips with.

“Neymar is the striker who has been the hardest to defend,” the Spaniard told in an interview with Esquire.

“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.”