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Neymar reached the milestone of 100 Ligue 1 matches with PSG last week, as the Parc des Princes side ran out convincing 4-0 winners over Montpellier.
True to form, the Brazilian scored a goal to mark the occasion. His overall display, too, was highly impressive, particularly given that he has only just recovered from a nasty ankle injury picked up late in 2020.
Neymar's five most memorable PSG appearances:
While there may be those who doubt if Neymar was worth the €222 million that PSG splashed out for him in 2017, the Brazilian's statistics speak for themselves: 100 games, 81 goals, 46 assists.
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The only criticism that could be levelled at him is that Neymar has spent so much time injured. However, these issues have frequently been caused by opponents rather than a lack of condition.
On that note, here are Neymar's five finest performances for PSG till date.
#5 PSG 5-1 Istanbul Basaksehir (December 9, 2020)
This was a match played in peculiar circumstances. as it was pushed back 24 hours following accusations of racism levelled at the fourth official just minutes after kick off.
The delay, however, did not stop PSG from romping to a 5-1 triumph. Neymar, typically, was to the fore, as he produced a dazzling display of quality. bagging a hat-trick and an assist.
He got the ball rolling for his side 20 minutes into the game. A long, controlled period of build-up play suddenly exploded into life when Neymar stepped into the space between the visiting midfield and defence. He executed a brilliant nutmeg on Carlos Ponck before bending the ball from 20 yards into the corner of the goal.
Shortly before the break, Neymar completed a breakaway by scoring when clean through; moments later, he won a penalty from which Kylian Mbappe scored.
Early in the second half, Neymar scored again, doing so emphatically from the edge of the box. There was a sense that he could have scored more if he really wished.
#4 Manchester United 1-3 PSG (December 2, 2020)
Neymar is an often much-derided figure in England, where there is the belief that the Brazilian offers more style than substance and that he is more qualified to win an Oscar than the Ballon d’Or.
One evening will not change these opinions, yet against Manchester United at Old Trafford, Neymar was in simply blistering form.
The chips were down for PSG heading into this match. With two defeats in their opening four Champions League matches and having won 1-0 over Leipzig in very unconvincing fashion a week earlier, anything short of a win against the Red Devils would likely have meant PSG's early exit.
However, Neymar ensured almost singlehandedly that that did not happen.
He pushed his side in front after six minutes. After being at the genesis of a sweeping move upfield, Neymar showed his goal-scoring instinct to pounce upon a deflected Kylian Mbappe shot before firing past David de Gea from a tight angle. It was the third time Neymar was involved in that move.
Similarly, he killed the game off in stoppage time. Again, he was to be found at the start of the play, gathering possession 30 yards from his own net before dodging one challenge and playing a silky pass forward that unlocked the defence.
When Rafinha played a deft pass along the six-yard box seconds later, Neymar put the game beyond doubt.
#3 PSG 8-0 Dijon (January 17, 2018)
It was the match that ultimately sparked comments from midfielder Adrian Rabiot that Ligue 1 was proving too easy for PSG and hindering their chances in the Champions League. However, it would not have been so straightforward without Neymar in such deliciously ruthless form against an opponent entirely incapable of stopping him.
Angel Di Maria’s early double had put PSG in command, with Neymar, of course, grabbing an assist for the second. Edinson Cavani then chipped in with PSG's third.
From the 40th minute onwards, however, it was the Neymar show, as he helped to batter a helpless opponent. His first was an exquisite free-kick, while his second was a simple finish after a defensive error.
Number three was the result of a fine solo run at the heart of the defence, and his fourth was a penalty. And he added a second assist in there for good measure.
Given the level of the opponent and the timing of the game, it would be remiss to consider this a defining display in his career, but it was certainly one of the most merciless.
#2 Atalanta 1-2 PSG (August 12, 2020)
What made Neymar’s display against Atalanta so impressive was not just what he achieved in the game but also the context in which it was done in.
There was immense pressure on PSG coming into this match. They were expected to ease past Atalanta in the Champions League quarter-finals and move into the semis without trouble.
However, that was an entirely unfair assumption that chronically underestimated a dangerous opponent, who, of course, took the lead.
Neymar had been a massive doubt prior to this match and did not have his partner in crime, Kylian Mbappe, to support him in the main. As such, he shouldered the bulk of PSG’s expectation throughout the match.
He made an astonishing 16 dribbles over 90 minutes, offered seven shots and had a game-high 113 touches – simply outrageous for an attacking player.
PSG went into the last minute trailing 1-0, but Neymar’s persistence paid off; he set up Marquinhos for the equaliser, which preceded Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting’s winner by seconds.
Neymar was awarded the Man of the Match but graciously gave the award to Choupo-Moting – hardly the mark of the egomaniac he is purported to be.
#1 PSG 6-2 Toulouse (August 20, 2017) - Neymar's home debut
It is fair to say that Neymar hit the ground running in Paris, showing absolutely no signs of being daunted by his massive transfer fee.
On his debut against Guingamp away from home, Neymar expressed his samba football quite beautifully in a 3-0 win, netting a goal and proving an assist, yet his first match at Parc des Princes was arguably better.
Toulouse had taken a surprise lead in the match, but this advantage was quickly cancelled out by Neymar, who followed up a shot that was saved by the goalkeeper by producing an easy finish.
Neymar's second goal, which arrived in stoppage time to cap off PSG's win, may have been anecdotal, but it was brilliant. The Brazilian showed incredible footwork in the box to dance past a couple of challenges to score.
In between his two strikes, he persistently teased the opponents and created goals for Adrien Rabiot and Layvin Kurzawa too as PSG turned what had been an early deficit into a resounding victory.
If PSG’s supporters loved Neymar before he had turned out at their home venue, they were positively enamoured with him now.
