It took some time, but Neymar has finally been able to enjoy a long-awaited return to the pitch. After being an unused substitute in the last three games, the Brazilian started for Paris Saint-Germain in the friendly vs. Jeonbuk in South Korea. It was the 31-year-old’s first game in six months.
Back in February, Ney had to be subbed off in a stretcher during a Ligue 1 game against Lille. He later had to undergo surgery, and from then on, the winger started a long period of recovery that kept him out for the remainder of the season. After so long, the Brazilian star has once again shown his talent on the pitch.
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Neymar bags a brace in his return to the pitch
After keeping him on the bench in the last few games, Luis Enrique decided to field Neymar from the get-go and the Brazilian seized the opportunity. It only took him 40 minutes to get on the scoresheet again, scoring after an interesting individual play with a shot deflected by a defender.
After 83′, the former Barcelona player capitalized on a deep pass to make it 2-0 for PSG. Four minutes later, Ney provided an assist with a backheel pass to let Marco Asensio seal the 3-0 victory for the reigning Ligue 1 champions.
Even though there’s a clear difference between these teams and it was a rather meaningless game, Neymar’s return is significant both for the footballer himself and the French club. With Lionel Messi gone and Kylian Mbappe probably on his way out as well, Neymar is probably the most important player in Paris this season. Now, Luis Enrique’s side has to prepare for its league debut against Lorient on August 12.
