Villeneuve-d'Ascq (AFP)

Superstar Neymar, author of a double, carried Sunday Paris SG to victory in Lille (2-0), where no Ligue 1 team had won this season. With the Brazilian in this form, the Championship leader seems unattainable.

Like Dortmund with the prodigal striker Erling Braut Haaland, Paris SG lives the days which separate it from the eighth of finals of the Champions League, the eyes fixed on only one player.

While the Pierre-Mauroy stadium was expecting a new episode of the "Fantastic Four", Neymar donned his Superman costume, transforming his team's rather average performance into a victory.

He opened the score with a sublime coiled strike (28th) before sealing the result on penalty (51st) - his 12th and 13th achievements in the Championship, which place him on time for his personal best (19 in 2018).

A big basketball fan, the "Ney" dedicated his second goal to Kobe Bryant, evoking with his fingers the number 24 of the Los Angeles Lakers superstar, who accidentally died on Sunday.

But the best tribute that the Brazilian could pay him is by showing the spirit of the "Black Mamba" which made the reputation of the American basketball player, famous for his decisive baskets in the "money time".

As in Reims on Wednesday in the League Cup (3-0), the L1 leader relied on the solo talent of his N. 10, who is going through his best period since he arrived in the capital in 2017 - with seven consecutive matches in the Championship with at least one goal, Neymar has had an unprecedented series for him in Europe.

Its resplendent form contrasts with the awkwardness shown by Kylian Mbappé (69th, 72nd) and Mauro Icardi, who had a fourth tenure without scoring - a first for him!

- Thiago Silva released at half-time -

The mere presence of the "Ney" changes everything for PSG with the approach of the eighth finals of the Champions League, where he had been pitifully eliminated for the past two years without his superstar, each time injured.

But the path to the round to go to Germany on February 18 is not yet completely clear. Lille, with its high pressing, has long bothered Parisians and highlighted weaknesses in the corridors.

The Losc tried to bring the danger by insisting on the left side of Abdou Diallo, central defender by trade, but lateral one evening because of the absences of Juan Bernat, Thilo Kehrer and Layvin Kurzawa. On the right flank, a lost ball by Thomas Meunier led to the biggest northerly opportunity, a shot from Victor Osimhen next (37th).

However, the Dogues' clumsiness in the last pass finally left Keylor Navas alone, decisive only on a long shot from Luiz Araujo (9th). Despite its great potential, Lille has spread its offensive deficits which make it seventh in the Championship, six points from the podium.

In the middle, Idrissa Gueye, established in the absence of Marquinhos (injured), was solid alongside Marco Verratti - good news for coach Thomas Tuchel. But the half-time outing of captain Thiago Silva, for a little alert, reminded the reality of a team that knows a lot of physical glitches.

Between the management of his infirmary and the cases of Edinson Cavani and Kurzawa, close to a departure during the winter transfer window, Dortmund is still far away.

© 2020 AFP