Player Focus: Neymar Proving the Perfect Fit for Barca

He may have taken his time to get here, with the deal to bring him to Spain perhaps one of the most drawn out in Spanish football history, but Neymar has hit the ground running in Barcelona colours.

On Tuesday evening the Brazilian opened his Barcelona goalscoring account in La Liga, the first of many we can safely assume. The fact that it came against Real Sociedad was pertinent too, as his compatriots Romário and Rivaldo also scored their first Barça goals against the team from San Sebastián. It was the one thing missing from an otherwise perfect start to life at Barça.

As opposed to the goals thus far, though he did score in the Super Cup against Atlético Madrid, it’s the assists, attitude and unselfish work that have struck a real chord with everyone at his new club. Neymar has already produced 4 assists in La Liga (5 overall including the Champions League, and in consecutive games) and three of them have been made for a player some thought he’d be incompatible with, Lionel Messi.

A huge factor in this blossoming relationship has been the humble, sacrificed work ethic of the Brazilian - he’s having fun, but he’s also working tremendously hard to succeed. This can be seen in his work off the ball, which is such a huge factor for each and every new Barcelona player. The aggression, coordination and focus on time spent without the ball is one of the primary lessons taught in La Masia, or as many graduates have come to describe it “the first three seconds without the ball”.

Neymar’s shown the ability to press the player in possession of the ball, and while this has been apparent in the past with both Santos and Brazil, he’s stepped up another level at Barça. The attitude of Neymar to learn and execute this aspect so adeptly is striking, and not lost on Gerard Martino: “Neymar has adapted quickly to the team, both in defence and in attack. I'm very happy about him”.

His display against la Real was perhaps the most rounded of Neymar’s for the club so far, and his WhoScored rating on Tuesday evening of 8.55 was second only to Messi. Fixed on the left hand side of the attack, as he has been for 3 consecutive games, he dropped deep not only to collect the ball but also provide protection for the left back as the first outlet in Barça’s press.

Two of his three shots were on target, he made 2 key passes and completed 4 successful dribbles. As has been the trend since his arrival in Spain he drew more fouls than anyone else too, with 4. People desperate for Barça to switch up their game slightly will be pleased too, as the Brazilian attempted 3 crosses on the night. Jordi Alba’s delivery has never been anything special, so Neymar’s ability to deliver a cross from the left hand side to mirror Dani Alves’ presence on the right might well be key this season.

In respect to the fouls Neymar is attracting, the statistic could be spun another way. The 21-year-old is currently the most fouled player in La Liga, brought down 4.3 times per game, and in turn is taking much of the spotlight off Messi. It’s allowing the Argentinean more space and more of a canvas to work upon as opposed to being closed off completely. Of course, Messi is by no means getting an easy ride and is still the subject of fouls 1.6 times per game.

Maybe it’s La Liga’s way of throwing a welcoming party for Neymar, but it will be interesting to see if that average is maintained across the season. It’s no surprise given that Neymar has provided the same number of key passes as Messi this season with 12, while with 2.5 successful dribbles per game only Messi has more than the Brazilian at Barca. If opponents thought one South American problem was enough, well now there is another.

If the performance against la Real was his most complete, then the first half against Sevilla was Neymar’s most emphatic. It was in this moment at Camp Nou that, for the first time, he played himself into the minds – and hearts – of the fans. He lit up the stadium, reminiscent of a certain Ronaldinho, drawing gasps from the crowd in moments when everything seemed to stop as he spun away from yet another defender.

Neymar completed 6 dribbles that game, drew an astonishing 7 fouls and made 3 key passes. Not to mention of course, another assist. He was, for 45 minutes, essentially unplayable. Everyone was playing football, Neymar was playing his own brand of football sala (indoor football). Such was the velocity of his movement in tight spaces and ability to create without seemingly having an angle to work with.

The only real issue with Neymar so far has been his finishing, mainly due to tension in his demeanour in front of goal. Before the game against la Real he’d taken 2.4 shots per game without scoring in La Liga, the most at Barça. Still, it was only a matter of time before he’d find the back of the net and it could be the start of something special in front of goal. Remaining calm, seeking that composure and maintaining his natural line of thought will easily see him claim 20+ goals this term.

Questions of whether Barça really needed another star have already been answered. Two months in, the signs are positive, perhaps more so than those in power at the Catalan giants expected. The move was ideal for Barça; desperate for a fresh approach in their team without sacrificing the principles of their game, bringing in a new defining factor to signal this Martino era. For Neymar meanwhile it’s simple; he’s found a team that suits him on the field and off it too, which will provide a perfect platform for him to eventually become one of the best players in the world.

How many goals can Neymar score in this Barca side? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.