Neymar Slammed for 'Annoying' Wind-Up Tactics by Atletico Madrid's Gabi

Atletico Madrid captain Gabi has criticised Neymar's "peculiar" behaviour during Barcelona's 3-2 Copa del Rey quarter-final second-leg victory over the capital-based club, a tie which ended 4-2 on aggregate.

Gabi was sent off during half-time of Wednesday's tie, after Neymar was involved in a confrontation with a handful of Atletico players on the pitch. Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC suggests Gabi received his second caution after "vociferous complaints" to referee Jesus Gil Manzano, who failed to control the game.

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After the match, Gabi indicated Neymar provoked Atletico, per Canal Plus (h/t Juan Casanez of AS, translated by Corrigan):

"

(Neymar) has a way of playing which is a bit peculiar, above all when his team is winning. He always makes gestures on the pitch. Nobody likes to lose and, with the tension, these things annoy you.

"

Barca boss Luis Enrique doesn't believe Neymar will alter his game. "Neymar played the same as always, brimming with self-confidence," said the Blaugrana boss, per Marca. "He brings a lot to the team. That's his game, nobody is going to change it and we like him to be brave."

Neymar certainly brought a lot to the team during the Vicente Calderon tie. His two goals put Atletico to the sword in a match which saw the home side lead twice. The second strike was particularly frustrating for home fans after the ref failed to award a penalty just seconds before Barca beat Jan Oblak on the break, establishing the 3-2 lead.

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Despite Manzano previously pointing to the spot for a Javier Mascherano foul which appeared to be outside the box, Gabi outlined the no-call as the source of frustration which led to his sending off. Corrigan reported the midfielder's assessment of his dismissal:

"

Well, my words were 'Jesus, it was a penalty and a red card; look at the TV, you will see you have made a mistake.' Then I shouted, and he said 'you are sent off'." I did not say anything else. The team was left with a man less, and you saw that in the second half.

"

Manzano brandished 13 yellow cards and two red across 90 minutes, per WhoScored.com, with Mario Suarez receiving his marching orders late on after succumbing to his earlier frustration (he was also involved in the half-time confrontation).

Losing a player with half the match remaining all but conceded defeat for Atletico. Simeone noted as much in his post-match press conference, saying: "For me the game ended in the first half," per Corrigan.

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Atletico fans will certainly acknowledge an opportunity missed to make a run for the cup, particularly after toppling holders Real Madrid. Simeone's side opted to pass and move quickly in the first-half—rather than try to halt Barca's attack by prioritising defence—a style which provided the match with a terrific tempo.

This dissipated with Gabi's sending off, however, ensuring the second 45 minutes offered nothing other than a formality.

Neymar's contribution turned out to be the most telling. In the grand scheme of things, his ability to frustrate Atletico's players was just as important as notching two goals, limiting what the Rojiblancos could achieve with restricted numbers.