Ancelotti says Neymar is better than Bale at the moment

Carlo Ancelotti gave his prediction for the Clásico, analysing the game player by player, for the Chinese portal ‘Sina Sports’. The former Real Madrid coach, who is to take charge of Bayern Munich, seems to be more inclined towards an ‘Azulgrana‘ victory, jusding by his comments. Without any doubt, what was most striking is that he considers Neymar to be on top form, better than Bale, and Rakitic to be in better form than Kroos. However, he did not hesitate to put Sergio Ramos and Marcelo ahead of Mascherano and Jordi Alba. This is his player-by-player comparison. A 1 means he prefers the Barcelona player, a 2 the Madrid player, and an X means they are drawn and he cannot choose between them:

Bravo-Keylor Navas (X): Both are playing really well this season, although it’s true that Navas might have been more decisive than Bravo for his team.

Alves-Carvajal (X): Both are very good going forward but need to be more careful with the spaces they leave behind, especially Alves.

Piqué-Pepe (1): Pique has performed consistently and excellently this season. He’s always focused and his decision-making has been spot-on. Pepe’s speed and talent have been important as well.

Mascherano-Sergio Ramos (2): Even though he did not begin his career in this position, Mascherano plays really well as a central-defender. Ramos is the heart and soul of Real, he is always decisive in these matches.

Jordi Alba-Marcelo (2): Each of them has a similar role in their teams they both contribute a lot to attacking play, but Marcelo is more important for Real Madrid.

Busquets-Casemiro (1): Sergio Busquets is definitely one of the greatest midfielders in the world and tactical awareness is incredible. Casemiro is not as decisive, though he has improved a lot lately.

Rakitic-Kroos (1): Rakitic has been in unbelievable form, and his contribution to Barcelona has been tremendous, both mentally and physically. Kroos is a very important player, but he has not quite reached Rakitic’s level yet.

Iniesta-Modric (X): Both of them are among the greatest midfielders around. They can handle any match, and they both help make their team-mates better.

Neymar-Bale (1): Neymar has grown as a player this season and that has been evident for all to see in many of his amazing performances. He’s ever more important in the team and he’s on top form at the moment. Bale is also a decisive player for Real Madrid, but he’s missed many games due to injuries. Right now Neymar’s the better player.

Luis Suárez-Benzema (X): They are two different types of striker. Suarez is one of those pure strikers, born to score. His mobility means he can make life difficult for any defender. He is also in great form at the moment. Benzema is playing well too but he should perhaps have scored more goals. On the other hand, he’s very influential in other ways. It’s a hard choice.

Messi-Cristiano (X): What can I say? The two greatest players in the world, and both of them are in great form.