Al-Hilal’s 1-1 draw with Damac FC left fans disappointed, despite Neymar Jr.’s presence in the team. The fans were too excited to watch Neymar play for Al-Hilal again. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned, and the skills of the Brazilian were hardly used in any of the matches he played for the Saudi Arabian Club. Recently, a popular journalist pointed out that the 31-year-old’s performance was not up to par and that he has yet to prove how he can use his skills for the benefit of Al Hilal.

Neymar has already played three games for the Saudi Arabian football club. Two of the games were in the domestic league and one in the AFC Champions League. However, it was least expected that he would put forward a poor performance despite transitioning to a lower technical level. Does the journalist feel like Neymar is losing track?

Neymar is not up to the mark, even at a ‘lower’ level

Recently, renowned journalist Rafael Reis detailed his disappointment after watching the performances of Neymar at Al Hilal. He went on to compare the Brazilian footballer with Argentine superstar Lionel Messi, who recently made his move to Inter-Miami. Unlike Neymar, the 36-year-old is taking his new team to great heights and is getting appreciated from all corners for being a wonderful player on the American team.

As per the report of UOL, Reis said, “Anyone who imagined that Neymar would put together one gala performance after another in Saudi Arabia (more or less like Messi has done in the United States) must be disappointed with the Brazilian’s first performances as an Al-Hilal player.“

He later emphasized the past performances of Neymar, which were far more challenging than his recent games. However, back then, the Brazilian showcased some impressive games. Reis added, “Despite now playing in football with a lower technical level, where in theory it is easier to stand out, his performances at the start of the season are below what he used to perform when he was still facing Europe’s elite.”

Ney’s performance in the Al Hilal has been underwhelming so far, with an average Sofascore rating of 7.27. This is a dramatic drop from his ratings in the Ligue and the Champions League last season. Even though his rating fell significantly, his stardom managed to grab the attention of the fans.

The Brazilian star draws all the attention of the fans

Neymar’s AFC Champions League debut was highly anticipated by fans across the globe. Even though he disappointed fans who waited for a spectacular performance on his part, he didn’t disappoint the broadcasters. ESPN, the channel that showed the Brazilian footballer’s debut, became the most-watched pay television channel in the country, with an estimated 300,000 fans tuning in.

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The channel’s views increased by seventeen percent compared to the second-most-watched channel. This made ESPN the most-watched pay television channel in the country. The interest of fans in the 31-year-old also improved SportsCenter’s post-match edition of Al-Hilal vs. Navbahor. This had 195% more viewers than the second-most-watched sports segment. At the moment, the fans need to hold their breath and find out if Neymar will bounce back with some glorious performances.

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