Neymar’s unexpected transformation – how long will the extravaganza last?

More recently, Neymar was considered the successor to Messi and Ronaldo and the main young star. But the player is already 30 years old, a new galaxy of supertalents has appeared and it seemed that the best years of the Brazilian are behind.

Numerous rumors about the conflict with Mbappe, and PSG’s unsuccessful attempt to sell the player, suggested that this season would be a frank failure.

bookmakers also did not believe that Neymar would show good football. The odds on his chances of becoming the top scorer were high: he was not seen among the main contenders.

What happened?

To evaluate Neymar’s transformation, let’s start with last season’s statistics – 13 goals and 8 assists. For the average player, the numbers are not bad. But for a superstar who earns almost 40 million euros “net”, the figures are mediocre. If you add to this game addiction, a love of parties, frequent injuries and a conflict with Mbappe, it seemed that with each season the Brazilian’s condition would only worsen.

But in 2022, things are different. It is not known whether this is due to the arrival of Christophe Galtier, the upcoming World Cup, or the player simply decided to take a more responsible approach to training. Neymar had a good pre-season and got in great shape by the start of the season. In 11 matches, he scored 11 goals and made 8 assists – almost the same as in the whole of last year. Only in one match did he leave the field without scoring points.

The Brazilian fits perfectly into Galtier’s scheme, he is at the forefront of attack along with Mbappe, but in fact he often sinks into depth and breaks into arbitrary zones, which creates difficulties for defense. He not only completes the attacks, but also actively participates in their development. And he runs more of his attacking partners from match to match.

The coach does not skimp on praise for Neymar, emphasizing that he is one of the best players in the world today. This is confirmed by the statistics – according to the goal + pass system, the Brazilian already has 21 points. No other player in the top leagues can boast of such performance. If the player avoids injuries and maintains the same attitude for the entire season, he will return to the group of contenders for the Golden Ball. Especially if the experts’ predictions come true and the Brazilian team wins the World Cup.

^{As an advertisement. The information is provided by the partners of the MK in Cheboksary online publication. We warn you: use the services of only legal bookmakers that are members of the SRO. We remind you that, in accordance with the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, games and bets are based on risk.}