It’s a night to forget for Paris Saint-Germain striker Neymar. A form that the Brazilian cannot find and which worries a few days before the shock against Bayern Munich. His decisive corner for the equalizer of Sergio Ramos (45th + 2) is not enough to redeem another sluggish performance from the Brazilian, who has not found his flashes of the first part of the season since the return of his frustrating World Cup.
PSG, however, needs him at his best against the Munich giant on Tuesday at the Parc des Princes for the round of 16 first leg of the Champions League, especially with the injury of Kylian Mbappé, forfeited for the first leg. But the classic only moderately succeeds in the brilliant Brazilian. If he scored four goals in ten OM-PSG, “Ney” saw red twice, on his very first, on October 22, 2017 (2-2, for two yellows in quick succession (85th and 87th) and the only that PSG lost in 26 games, September 13, 2020 (1-0).
That evening at the Parc des Princes, in the final fight, he had slapped the back of the head of Alvaro Gonzalez, with whom he had a dispute (he had accused the Spaniard of having made racist remarks against go). Wednesday Neymar did not lose his cool. He could have been warned for a tackle from behind on Mattéo Guendouzi (69th). That he was pardoned by François Letexier made the Vélodrome roar.
A hit on the post
The Brazilian, unhappy since the elimination in the quarter-finals against Croatia (1-1, 4 pens to 2), came back from injury, spared for two matches for a discomfort in the adductor, which did not prevent the Parisians beat Montpellier (3-1) and Toulouse (2-1).
But for his return, he lacked precision at the Vélodrome, as on this control a bit long in the area (13th), and inspiration on a completely overused three-on-two counter with Lionel Messi (7th). Ney was stubborn a few times, in a solitary dribbling raid where he ended up being locked up by the Marseille pincers (37th). He also lacked success on his best action of the evening, a diabolical jerk to open up space, followed by a strike crashing into the post (40th).
He was nevertheless decisive by perfectly measuring the corner on the head of Sergio Ramos (45th + 2). But Neymar only released his best shots once PSG led on a strike from the left of the Ukrainian Ruslan Malinovskyi (57th). Alexis Sanchez had opened the scoring from the penalty spot (31st). At the foot of the wall, the team of Christophe Galtier finally seriously rushed to attack. On one of his rushes, perfectly executed this one, Neymar skillfully shifted Lionel Messi, but his partner uncharacteristically sent his shot into the South bend (79th).
Without Mbappé, PSG’s hopes of dominating Bayern will rely heavily on the Neymar-Messi duo. Paris can revive the memory of the two dazzling matches of its N.10 against the Munich residents in the 2021 quarter-finals, in the first leg (3-2) and in the return (1-0 defeat).