Neymar and Mbappe's partnership could take PSG far in Europe

As the world's two most expensive soccer players, Neymar and Kylian Mbapp already stand apart.

On the field, they have a harmony which could take Paris Saint-Germain far in the Champions League after three straight seasons of failing to even reach the quarterfinals.

Evidence of their growing understanding was fully displayed in the 5-0 home win against an albeit weak Galatasaray side in the Champions League midweek.

Mbapp set up Neymar with an exquisite back-heeled pass, and Neymar returned the compliment with a defense-splitting ball to send the electrifying Mbapp through on goal. They also combined in setting up PSG's opening goal for Mauro Icardi.

"The real Neymar is back," Le Parisien newspaper said on Thursday.

But for how long? The worry for PSG is if the relationship between Neymar and Mbapp becomes rather too exclusive, to the detriment of teamwork and the exclusion of teammates.

The concern is that against far better sides later in the competition, this will be too predictable and work against PSG.

Of Neymar's 57 completed passes against the Turkish side, 17 of them went to Mbapp. Hardly any went to Icardi, the other striker although much of his game is about movement off the ball to open up space for others.

Before Icardi's opening goal, which came after 32 minutes, it seemed at times as if Neymar and Mbapp were having a 2 vs. 2 kickabout on a local park, such was their tendency to pass to only each other.

There is no denying that with its two biggest stars fully fit, PSG looks an ominous side.

Neymar set up Mbapp's goal last Saturday in a 3-1 win at Montpellier, where they also combined superbly for Icardi's score.

They have not played much together this season because Neymar sat out the first few games of the season as he tried to push through a move back to Barcelona, which sold him for a world record 222 million euros (USD 247 million) in 2017.

Neymar then picked up another niggling injury while with Brazil, keeping him out for six weeks. The good news for coach Thomas Tuchel is that, after two seasons of constant injury breaks, Neymar appears close to his best once again.

In the past four games he's scored three, set up three, and been involved in starting moves for other goals.

Tuchel hoped Neymar would be fully fit by January, but he's ahead of schedule.

"Ney has improved physically," Tuchel said.

"He's accelerating more often."
"I told him he needs to respect people. When everyone idolizes you, then you need to show the right education."