MIDAS TUCH IS WORKING FOR NEYMAR

NEYMAR says he bought into Thomas Tuchel’s philosophy from the moment he met him.

The Brazil superstar aims to get Paris Saint-Germain back on track in Group C tonight after an opening-game defeat at Liverpool, when they play Red Star Belgrade tonight in the French capital.

And he reckons former Dortmund coach Tuchel in his first season already has PSG going in the right direction.

Neymar (above) said: “He has brought something new to Paris SaintGermain. I have seen how much he wants to win, I saw it right from our first conversation.

“I find myself in what he says. He is a young coach who knows what he wants. He shows us that every training session. Working with him is a great experience.

“Winning the Champions League is very difficult. You have to pay attention to every little detail, be focused every second of every match and always give your all. That’s what we want. We want to build a great Paris Saint-Germain and surprise people.”

Neymar has struggled to get back in physical and mental shape following the World Cup and reckons it will be a while before he is firing on all cylinders.

He added: “My injury, the World Cup, that’s all in the past. It was tough, but it’s behind me now. There was a lot of frustration over the summer, but that’s football. Today I have many more reasons to smile than to be sad.

“I’m not yet back to 100 per cent. But nobody is, because it’s only the start of the season. Teams plan to be ready in February, March.”

Tuchel (above) is also delighted at the way Neymar has battled back from Russia, where he was injured but also criticised for play-acting.

The German said: “He’s not 100 per cent, but he’s getting there. He has a good attitude, he comes to training with a smile and he is decisive in each and every match. I am very happy with him.

“He will soon be at his very best and that’s important for the team. We are improving match by match and our pressing game is improving.”