Soccer: I have the attributes of Messi in his Prime

Chapter 485: Neymar Faces Criticism!

The match between Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) drew attention not only from the fans of both teams but also from other top clubs. Representatives from Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich were present to watch the game live.

Seeing Kevin De Bruyne's goal, these observers couldn't help but frown. Manchester City's attacking midfielder seemed to have improved significantly. When De Bruyne first transferred to Manchester City, not many people took him seriously. After all, he had been a fringe player at Chelsea and his transfer fee wasn't particularly high, so expectations were low.

However, in just one season, De Bruyne proved everyone wrong. His physical conditioning, body strength, and ball control had all seen substantial improvement since joining Manchester City. This enabled him to excel in the intense English Premier League. His vision, technical skills, and ability to deliver dangerous passes further improved, making him a key player.

For those who regularly watch Manchester City, it's easy to notice De Bruyne delivering highly penetrative passes, perfectly setting up the forwards for easy goals. This is evident from his assist numbers. This season, De Bruyne played 42 games for Manchester City, scored 16 goals, and provided 23 assists. In the Premier League, he leads with 18 assists and is likely to win this honor again.

These impressive stats and his consistently outstanding performances over the years have made De Bruyne a well-known name in football. His market value has soared above 50 million euros. Considering the recent inflation in transfer fees, prying him away from Manchester City for less than 70 million euros seems impossible.

If Manchester City only had De Bruyne, it might not be a big deal. However, the rest of their squad is also top-notch, and they have someone who is arguably the best player in the world right now. What makes it even more terrifying is that this person has a seamless partnership with De Bruyne. Together, they are more than the sum of their parts, making them incredibly formidable.

PSG seemed a bit shaken by the sudden goal. After resuming play, it took them a while to regain their composure and mount another attack. Compared to their previous attempts, PSG's offensive efforts became more aggressive, with more players and greater determination.

They clearly understood their situation: they had to win at home. Anything less would be disastrous. Under PSG's fierce attacks, Manchester City's defense began to falter. Neymar, who had been somewhat out of sorts after missing a penalty, finally started to find his form.

Imitating his former teammate Lionel Messi, Neymar reduced the flashy footwork and played more intelligently and simply. This change revitalized PSG's left-wing attack. In the 37th minute, Neymar used a beautiful behind-the-leg move to evade Manchester City's right-back, Pablo Zabaleta. Forced to commit a tactical foul to stop Neymar, Zabaleta received Manchester City's third yellow card of the match.

For Manchester City, this wasn't good news. Three of their four defenders now had yellow cards, and with the right-back, who had the most defensive pressure, also booked, it became harder to contain Neymar. Seeing the danger, Lin Quan quickly retreated to assist Zabaleta, significantly reducing Neymar's threat.

While Neymar was now contained, Lin Quan's defensive role diminished Manchester City's offensive threat. The game reached a stalemate, with both teams struggling to break through. At this critical moment, Edinson Cavani stepped up. In the 42nd minute, Cavani used his outstanding individual skills and intelligent movement to find space and receive a precise pass from Thiago Motta, scoring to make it 1-1.

The Parc des Princes erupted as PSG fans chanted Cavani's name, hailing him as the team's hero. Although Neymar had the bigger reputation, Cavani was a long-serving member of the team, beloved by many fans. When Neymar couldn't step up, Cavani did, earning even more admiration from the fans.

Some fans began to believe Cavani was the one they could truly rely on, while Neymar, despite his hefty 200-million-euro price tag, seemed more style than substance.

Neymar was frustrated. It wasn't that he lacked skill or determination; he was simply being heavily targeted. When Lin Quan initially moved back to help defend against Neymar, the Brazilian didn't think much of it. How strong could an attacking player's defense be?

As it turned out, Lin Quan's defensive skills weren't exceptional, but he played aggressively, engaging in physical confrontations with Neymar. This was Neymar's weakness, and he struggled against such physicality. In these duels, Neymar found it difficult to maintain possession, let alone turn and create plays.

Lin Quan seemed to understand Neymar's playstyle perfectly, timing his tackles and physical challenges just right to disrupt Neymar's first touch and subsequent actions. Frustrated, Neymar couldn't break through and was often forced to pass back, which slowed PSG's attack and allowed Manchester City to reset their defense.

If it wasn't for Cavani's clever positioning and Motta's perfect pass, PSG might still be trailing. Realizing he couldn't keep battling in the same position against these defenders, Neymar started thinking about changing his approach.

After the restart, Neymar pulled back, moving closer to his teammates to get more support. To avoid being double-teamed, he shifted towards the center, playing more like a central midfielder rather than a winger. This positional change gave Neymar more space to operate. Manchester City's right-back, Zabaleta, couldn't mark him as tightly, allowing Neymar to become more influential.

In the stoppage time of the first half, Neymar dribbled past a defender and passed the ball to Di María on the wing. Di María cut inside, drawing the defenders' attention, then passed to Cavani in the box. Cavani, unable to turn due to tight marking, saw Neymar running in and passed the ball back to him. Neymar took a powerful shot aimed at the bottom left corner. Navas, City's goalkeeper, could only watch as the ball flew past him, but it hit the post and bounced out.

Neymar was stunned, thinking, "Why me? How did that not go in?" The stadium fell silent in disbelief. The play was perfect, but the ball hit the post. Even the commentator expressed sympathy, noting that if Neymar had scored, everyone would forget his missed penalty.

At halftime, PSG's coach, seeing the players' low spirits, tried to lift them up. "Hey guys, it's not the end of the world. We haven't lost the game yet. Neymar, you played well in the second half. Forget the bad moments and keep up the good work. The team needs you!"

The score was tied, which was still not favorable for PSG. They needed to continue attacking in the second half, aiming to score more goals. Manchester City's coach, Guardiola, kept his strategy the same. A 1-1 draw was acceptable, but they would aim to score again while maintaining a strong defense.

As the second half began, Manchester City launched another quick attack. "Goal!!!!!" The commentator exclaimed. "N'Golo Kanté! My goodness, Manchester City scored within 20 seconds of the second half, and it was their defensive midfielder, not a forward!"

PSG made the same mistake twice, failing to anticipate Manchester City's aggressive start. City's sudden attack caught PSG off guard, with Kanté coming from behind to take a powerful shot, scoring and putting City ahead again.

This early blow disrupted PSG's plans and rattled the team. Despite their strong offensive push, their attacks were disorganized, relying too much on individual efforts and lacking real threats.

On the other hand, Manchester City capitalized on PSG's desperation, launching dangerous counterattacks. Unfortunately, Son Heung-min missed several key opportunities, failing to extend the lead.

Watching from the stands, scouts from other top clubs began to write off PSG's chances. If PSG lost at home, their odds of winning the away game were slim. Manchester City's home ground, the Etihad Stadium, was notoriously tough, even for teams like Bayern, Real Madrid, and Barcelona.

The only hope for PSG lay with their star players. Fans grew increasingly frustrated with Neymar. "Where's Neymar? He needs to step up!" some shouted. "If he doesn't, PSG is doomed." Others mocked, "Is this the skill level of a 200-million-euro player? If not for the commentator, I wouldn't even know he's on the pitch."

Fans were dissatisfied with Neymar's performance, especially considering his high transfer fee and salary. In contrast, Lin Quan, while not scoring, played a significant role in both of City's goals, assisting one of them.

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