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Neymar: Lack of goals 'annoying'

Vincent West / Reuters

Neymar has conceded his reduced goal output is "annoying" as the Brazilian again watched his Barcelona teammates weigh in with goals in Saturday's 3-0 dismissal of Athletic Bilbao.

The Santos product contributed 39 and 31 goals over the past two seasons respectively, but is now seeking to address a lowered productivity after netting on just nine occasions so far during the current campaign. He does lead the Champions League assist count with seven, however, and has 17 across all competitions, lending to the argument that he offers much more than hitting the onion bag.

"It's difficult when you're not scoring, especially when you're a forward, where the expectations are higher," Neymar told Red Bull, with translation from ESPN FC's Samuel Marsden.

"So, yes, it's bad, it's annoying, but it's not my biggest worry. I concentrate on winning matches; it doesn't matter if it's me or a teammate that scores."

Neymar didn't begin his Barcelona campaign until September due to Brazil's victorious Rio 2016. After a slow start to that competition, the 25-year-old was increasingly inspirational on the successful quest for gold, and Luis Enrique, his manager in Catalonia, has seen vast improvements in his forward this term.

"We're seeing a wonderful version of Neymar," he said to SPORT. "His capacity to dribble is impressive, as is his sacrifice when it comes to helping the team.

"Not scoring goals doesn't bother me at all, it's a mere anecdote if you keep in mind all that he adds to the team. It's clear he's a vital player for us."

Neymar will sit out Tuesday's Copa del Rey semi-final with Atletico Madrid due to a suspension - Barcelona possesses a 2-1 advantage from the first leg in the Spanish capital - but he's expected to return to the first team in Saturday's trip to CD Alaves.

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