Barça's countdown to LaLiga (9): this is how Neto arrives

Norberto Murara Neto (19-7-1989) has not fallen as standing at Barça as Cillessen. The empathetic Dutchman became a kind of talisman in the Copa del Rey. He won two and reached another final leaving in three years interventions to remember (in Bilbao, San Sebastián, Valencia, at the Camp Nou with a suspended penalty to Banega …). This season, Neto could not even play the game in which Barça was eliminated in San Mamés. In Ibiza he sprained his left ankle that left him without participating in one of the most exciting matches of the course.

With two injuries so far this season, his appearance in LaLiga is limited to the Barcelona derby. In Cornellà, Barça tied two. He was not responsible for the goals of David López and Wu Lei, but neither was he a hero. The same happened in the Spanish Super Cup in Jeddah. There, with Ter Stegen injured (he stopped with Christmas in order to recover from physical problems), he conceded two late goals from Atlético de Madrid. He made a great stop for Llorente, but it is clear that he lacks the star that his predecessor had. The fourth official game he played this season was in Milan, against Inter. His best night as a Barça goalkeeper, with stops of great merit.

Arrived last summer for 26 million euros in a financial engineering exchange between Valencia and Barça that ended with Cillessen at Mestalla and the Brazilian at Camp Nou, Neto's role in the eleven games that remain in the League, as well as in the Champions League, will be to be upset in case Ter Stegen, who has also had a physical problem during the season, suffers from any setback. Neto returned injured from the tour of the United States. He fractured the scaphoid of his left hand in Michigan against Napoli and LaLiga did not start. Then he had the ankle problem. He has returned healthy from confinement and eager to change, even for a day, his luck. His future at Barça for the coming season, like that of so many others, is not confirmed.