Dani Alves has given some advice to the Brazil fans who have criticised Neymar’s displays for the national team.

Josep Capdevila

Neymar is passing through a similar moment with Brazil that Lionel Messi has long since endured with Argentina. In both countries, the two Barcelona players are criticised for playing better for their clubs than their countries, perhaps forgetting that the problem is the way the national teams play - not the two forwards.

Alves, who we know is not afraid to express his opinion, has leapt to Neymar’s defence: “We cannot expect the same performances from Neymar with the national team as with Barça, because the philosophies are not the same.

“At Barça, there’s been a philosophy in place for many years which continues to be applied, while here [Brazil] we still have to adapt. But Neymar always has to make the difference and our job is to help him. If we don’t help him, it’ll be more difficult for him, because football is a team sport.”

Meanwhile, Alves also spoke about Brazil’s 2-2 draw against Uruguay: “To play two such contrasting halves of football is not fitting for a team with our level of players.

“We have to find the balance, we can’t fluctuate so much during games, because if we do, it makes things even more difficult.”