Neymar and Bale in the league of comparisons

The rivalry between the two Spanish giants, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, has taken another turn with the arrival of Brazilian striker Neymar to FC Barcelona and Welsh winger Gareth Bale to Real Madrid. The rivalry had already been fierce with Messi and Ronaldo, believed to be the two best players of the current era, playing for the opposite sides. And these transfers of Neymar and Bale have only increased the competition between the two teams. When FC Barcelona and Real Madird used to meet for El Clasico, the battle between Messi and Ronaldo used to be the main attraction, but now the focus is on Messi and Neymar vs Ronaldo and Bale.

Neymar and Bale have been tagged as two of the best young footballers around and hence, the comparisons are bound to happen.Here is a detailed comparison between the two.

Real Madrid signed Gareth Bale for $123 million, which makes him second in the list of most expensive players, while on the other hand, Barcelona signed the Brazilian striker for $76 million.

After the much hyped transfer of Bale from Spurs to Real, the Welsh winger has not yet proved his worth, whilst Neymar has shown that he can perform against tough sides as well.

Neymar(L) and Bale(R)

Player Strengths -

Bale is a left footed winger and is known for his pace and physical strength. Bale started playing as a left back for Southampton, where he was hailed as a free kick specialist. At Spurs, he was tried as an offensive player and this marked his rise as a winger. He is a natural goal scorer and has the ability to produce goals from distance. Ball control is also a very strong aspect of his play; he can easily beat defenders with his dribbling skills and strength.

Neymar, on the other hand, is a striker known for his abilities with both feet. Unlike Bale, Neymar has a slender build and is known for his speed, dribbling and finishing. In 2012, Neymar was rated above Lionel Messi by former Brazilian striker Pele. Neymar started his career playing for Santos, which won him many accolades.

Goal creating ability -

Although both are still young and have only played a few matches for their current Spanish sides, their goal scoring potential is an important factor to consider. The statistics separate the two. Neymar has 3 goals in 10 La Liga appearances, while Bale has 3 goals in 6 La Liga appearances. But if we look at their contribution to their senior clubs, Neymar leads the way. Bale has made 192 appearances in his senior career and has netted 50 goals, while Neymar has played a total of 113 matches for Santos and Barcelona in his senior career and has scored 57 goals. Clearly, Neymar wins as a goal-poacher.

Verdict: Neymar

Dribbling abilities -

In his short career so far, Neymar has shown that he is a man to watch out for in terms of ball control. He is a natural dribbler and he beats defenders with utmost ease. Neymar knows how to move and when to move to create chances. Bale on the other hand is a strong and pacy dribbler; his control over the ball is often excellent but uinlike Neymar, he relies on his speed and strength to get past defenders.

Verdict: Neymar

Team Play -

Team play is one of the most important aspects of football and every team would love to have a good team player in their side who can score and create goals. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been so successful for Barca and Real because they play for the team.

Bale and Neymar in their short careers so far have both shown that they are good team players and are always ready to pass the ball whenever required. The stats suggest the same; Neymar has 7 assists for Barca from 10 matches and Bale has 3 assists for Real from 6 matches. Bale sometimes goes for a shot from a distance as you would expect from a player who can score from long range, but he is still a good team player to have in your side.

Verdict: Both play for the team.

Physical strength -

It’s a no-brainer, really. Bale wins easily in this aspect. Neymar, at 5 ft 9 inches, is not a muscular man and can be stopped by more brawny defenders, while on the other hand Bale, at 6 ft, is a strongly-built winger and beats defenders with his exceptional physical strength. And there would be no surprises if someone rates Bale above Neymar in terms of physical strength.

The final selection -

Both Neymar and Bale are speedsters and have been performing well for their teams. Neymar has the edge in terms of goal scoring and dribbling, whilst Bale wins in terms of physical strength and his ability to convert free kicks. All in all, Neymar wins for me, as he is still young in comparison to his counterpart Bale.