Angel Di Maria Has Proven He's Key to Unleashing Neymar at Paris Saint-Germain

Neymar was at his entertaining best as Paris Saint-Germain brushed past RB Leipzig with ease on Tuesday, booking their place in their first ever Champions League final.

While Leipzig were unusually poor on the night, credit must go to Thomas Tuchel's PSG for not letting up and punishing their opponents at every given opportunity. Neymar was the leader of the pack, toying with a shaky defence in the first 45 minutes.

It was a statement performance from Neymar that was needed to remind viewers that, despite the constant scrutiny, the Brazilian is a generational talent and a lot of fun to watch - when he wants to be.

Neymar didn't actually score on the night, but came close through a number of efforts. It was another case of far too many missed chances for the 28-year-old, but the fact he managed to scuff clear cut chances and still stand out as the best player on the pitch was testament to just how good he was.

A constant threat whenever he touched the ball, Neymar came close from a free kick that he had absolutely no right to score from, almost catching out Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi. He went one better when he provided the assist for Angel Di Maria's finish, effortlessly flicking the ball behind him and into the Argentine's path for him to score from a pass that was quite literally blasted at Neymar.

It's exactly this level of confidence and command that makes Neymar a pleasure to watch when at his best. Ever since he swapped Barcelona for Paris, becoming the most expensive footballer ever, he was destined to be subject to scrutiny. Whether it be that he wasn't doing enough in a 'farmer's league' - yeah, that old chestnut - or he was too busy not caring about his football, Neymar was always going to be fighting a battle he could never win at such a high price tag.

While at times he hasn't helped himself, for the most part he's been electric. Injuries also haven't been kind to the tricky forward during his time in the French capital and have affected his playtime this season, but when he has featured consistently, he's been crucial to PSG's domestic domination.

People can criticise PSG as a team for spending so much money and failing to win a Champions League thus far, but this season they've turned on the style in the mini-knockout tournament format. Perhaps playing less games has helped, but they've also been at their very best, as has Neymar.

Be it as a centre forward or on either wing, the Brazilian has been unplayable. He's made a goal contribution in every game of the knockout stages which has been vital in taking his side to the final for the first time. He's also created a further 14 chances in those four games for PSG and made 28 successful dribbles. Considering he's still capable of scoring even more on top of that, it's hard to deny that he looks more focused than ever.

Thomas Tuchel seems to have finally figured out how to truly unlock his £200m man, which has been by allowing him to focus purely on the attacking phase of play.

Instead of tracking back and coming deep to receive the ball and begin attacks, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe both seem to have been given the freedom to sit higher up and wait for their team to win the ball back. This allows them to counter with frightening ability, creating a lightning quick and incredibly skilful duo for the opposition to defend against, and that's before the cavalry arrives.

The cavalry on Tuesday night proved to be Di Maria, who is actually the secret behind the reduced role for Neymar.

The Argentine scored thanks to his Brazilian teammate, but actually repaid the favour throughout the 90 minutes. Di Maria does the heavy lifting, tracking back and helping the side out in defence and winning the ball back, which allows Neymar to coast and wait for chances to attack.

The 32-year-old was everywhere on the pitch. He made six recoveries and won six out of seven duels, while also making 14 final third passes. It was an impressive output that got the best out of those ahead of him and himself, as he finished the game with a goal and two assists.

After his infamous stint with Manchester United, it's easy to forget that Di Maria is an incredibly talented player. His dribbling and passing levels allow him to link PSG's midfield and attack together, and his willingness to get forward into dangerous positions makes him a complete package that allows Les Parisiens to overwhelm opposition defences when in possession.

It's easy to gush over Neymar when he's at his best - like he has been in the latter stages of the 2019/20 season - but for £200m, there's always room for criticism. Yes, his finishing has to improve, but with Mbappe alongside him, it does allow him to focus on ripping defences apart with key dribbles and well picked passes.

Despite being injured for a chunk of the campaign, he currently has 19 goals and 12 assists from 26 appearances in all competitions, making it difficult to deny his obscene talent.

If Tuchel continues to deploy Di Maria in a position that allows him to work from end to end and keep Neymar injury free, then it might just be the tactic that makes football fans around the world appreciate the true genius of the Brazilian, while also reaffirming Di Maria as the European elite that he always has been.