The world's most expensive player provided a pulsating evening's
entertainment at the Stade du Roudourou on Sunday, with one goal and an
assist, as PSG overcame strong resistance from Guingamp to win 3-0 in
the French league.
Neymar was named man of the match, and it was deserved.
"I'm
very happy with the trophy, but the most important (thing) was to win,"
Neymar said through a translator. "I knew it would be difficult to
leave Barca, but I'm very happy to be here. People believe that leaving
Barca is like to die. But I'm more alive than ever. I'm very happy, and
the football is the same."
Neymar, who signed from Barcelona last week, missed the
start of the season at the Parc des Princes against Amiens due to
paperwork problems. Hired for a world-record 222 million euros ($262
million), he started on the left wing of PSG's attack in the small
Brittany town.
Neymar looked intensely focused from the start, easily switching from one wing to the other, and often taking a playmaker role.
Pre-match
festivities in the small Brittany town included some fireworks, but
Neymar was jeered by a handful of fans as he came on the pitch to warm
up with his teammates, pointing a finger toward the sky. By the end,
many local fans gave him a standing ovation.
Neymar's first touch
in the French league was a long ball for Angel Di Maria that landed on
the edge of the box, but the Argentine player could not latch onto it.
Neymar's
vision, acceleration and through balls in a weaker league than Spain's
unsettled Guingamp's back four, and his trademark dribbles were also on
display at the Roudourou. Midfielder Lucas Deaux will be remembered as
the first French league player to be nutmegged by the former Barcelona
star.
Encouragingly for PSG, Neymar has already gelled with
Cavani, with both players finding each other instinctively despite the
lack of space in the Guingamp box.
The big question that
immediately emerged when Neymar signed with PSG was how he could fit
into coach Unai Emery's system. Neymar proved he can play well with the
Uruguay forward, especially if Emery continues to use Cavani in a
central position.
"I knew he was a top player," Neymar said about
Cavani. "Now I'm playing with him. He is a great player, and when you
have such great players in a team, it's easy."
Neymar completed
103 passes, one of which set up Cavani in the 62nd minute, as his
teammate scored his 90th goal in 135 topflight matches. Cavani then
turned provider to set up Neymar with a cut-back pass that the Brazil
captain converted from close range with a poke in the 82nd minute.
"I
was more impressed by Cavani, who scored again," said Guingamp veteran
striker Jimmy Briand. "Neymar, there is no need to introduce him
anymore. We knew he was going to be a big threat."
On a sleepy
summer Sunday, the atmosphere slowly built in the small town of
Guingamp, though most of the streets were still empty mid-afternoon.
Fans
later gathered for pre-match drinks at a downtown bar, "Le panier a
salade (The salad shaker)," where walls are adorned with autographed
jerseys from Guingamp players.
Some PSG fans mingled with home supporters in a friendly atmosphere.
"It's
magic to see Neymar at the Roudourou stadium," said Florian Nicolas, a
30-year-old PSG fan who settled in Brittany five years ago. "This match
will be watched worldwide."
A town of 7,000 inhabitants known for
its local galette-Saucisse treat —a sausage rolled in a crepe — Guingamp
is also football-crazy and has witnessed the emergence of world-class
players including the likes of Didier Drogba and Florent Malouda in the
early 2000s. A club-record 18,378 fans watched Sunday's game.
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