Having struggled against Girona in the Champions League, Paris Saint-Germain intended to continue their flawless run in the league when they travelled to the Stade de Reims pitch, as part of the 5th day of Ligue 1. While Reims kept their heads down at the start of the game, the Champenois caught the otherwise enterprising Parisians cold by showing themselves to be effective on their first clear move of the match, with Keito Nakamura adding to a lightning counter-attack well-led by his compatriot Junya Ito. While the SDR’s plan, solid defensively and lethal up front, went off without a hitch, that of the reigning French champion did not work. At least in the first half. Forced to change them after the break, Luis Enrique had a good nose in deciding to bring in some new blood with the entry of Ousmane Dembélé.
A choice that paid off for the Asturian coach since the Parisian winger, who was keen to redeem himself after his moribund performance against Girona in midweek, saved the day for the Parisians just a few minutes after coming on by beating Yevhann Diouf with a header (1-1). A liberating goal that would not have happened without the presence of João Neves on the pitch. Lined up on the left side of the Parisian three-man midfield, the Portuguese was one of the few starters to live up to expectations on Auguste Delaune’s pitch. A real hub for the Parisian collective, the former Benfica player combined enormously with his teammates while proving very effective in recovery thanks to his sense of anticipation.
João Neves is adapting at high speed!
If the 19-year-old prodigy has had very little waste in his transmissions (96% of successful passes on his 126 balls touched), he has also shone in the direction of the game. Proof is in the equalizing goal of the reigning French champions where it was he who managed, by means of a nice cross, to find the head of Ousmane Dembélé. Decisive passer and elected man of the match by our editorial staff (7.5/10), the native of Tavira has improved his personal statistics in Reims by becoming the first player to deliver 5 assists after his first 5 Ligue 1 matches since the 21st century. The sign of a successful adaptation in the Parisian capital?
“I feel very good, it’s incredible. My partners are very good, incredible. I enjoy every moment and I try to improve, that’s why I came to Paris. There are also the fans who are here and I’m very happy with the way it’s going“, the Portuguese international rejoiced at the microphone of DAZN. Aware that there is still a lot of room for improvement, João Neves is gaining ground in the Parisian midfield as the league matches go by. Adored by his teammates, as Marquinhos said after the Champions League victory, the 19-year-old is impressing everyone by showing a certain maturity on the pitch despite his young age. For the moment, we can say that PSG hit the nail on the head by recruiting him.
