Bale must learn to handle criticism, says Neymar

Under-fire Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale has been told he must live with the criticism coming his way by Barcelona counterpart Neymar.

The record 86-million-pound signing has endured a torrid second season at Madrid-based club, with Tuesday night’s anonymous showing against Juventus a new nadir in the opinion of fans and Madrid media, reports dailymail.co.uk.

But Neymar admits Bale’s current situation comes with the territory of being a top class talent. “Criticism and pressure is something very usual in football. We all face it from time to time. You have to learn to live with it,” the Brazilian said on Thursday about the Welshman.

“What isn’t in doubt is that Gareth Bale is a great player.”

Bale’s drop in form and popularity at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium has seen him linked with a return to the English Premier League (EPL) with Chelsea or Manchester United. The 23-year-old Neymar, who netted the third goal in Barcelona’s thrilling 3-0 triumph over Bayern Munich on Wednesday, is understandably confident about reaching the Champions League final.