Brazilian star Neymar said that his Argentine colleague Lionel Messi is not required to prove anything to his critics, with Messi entering his second season with Paris Saint-Germain.
Messi missed his usual level during his first season with Saint-Germain, where he scored 11 goals in 34 matches, knowing that he scored 38 goals for Barcelona in the previous season.
But Messi made 14 goals, including 10 goals during 2022, and was only surpassed in that in the five major league competitions, only Osman Dembele, who made 11 goals for Barcelona during 2022.
Messi made a strong performance in Saint-Germain's first match in the 2022-2023 season, on Sunday evening, and opened the scoring for the team in the match that ended with a 4-0 victory over Nantes in the French Super Cup.
When asked if Messi's performance was an indication of a new Messi with Saint-Germain, Neymar defended his colleague, and said, "I don't think that's the case. I see that people talk a lot. They don't know what happens every day, and what happens inside."
"Lionel is Lionel. He's still Lionel Messi, and that doesn't change. He keeps making the difference. He adapts. Of course we hope it goes well for the three of us, me, Lionel and Kylian (Mbappe). If we're okay, I trust in me." That's good for the team."
🏅 After his duet, @neymarjr hands out medals ✨
pic.twitter.com/13x5eVft6f
- Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_arab) July 31, 2022
Neymar scored two goals in yesterday's match, and Sergio Ramos also scored the team's other goal, to deservedly crown Saint-Germain with its first title under the leadership of its new coach, Christophe Galtier.
Saint-Germain won the French Super Cup for the 11th time in its history, including 9 times in the last 10 editions.