World Cup Star Neymar Stats: Number of Tackles Against Al Nassr

## World Cup Star Neymar Stats: Number of Tackles Against Al Nassr

When football icon Neymar lines up against Saudi powerhouse Al Nassr, expectations naturally focus on his dazzling dribbles, creative passes, and clinical finishing. However, one specific defensive statistic often sparks discussion among analysts: **his surprisingly low number of tackles made during these encounters.** While precise figures fluctuate slightly based on minute allocation (due to substitution patterns), **official Opta tracking consistently records Neymar averaging between just 0.5 and 1.5 successful tackles per 90 minutes played against Al Nassr across competitions like the UEFA Champions League group stage.**

This minimal output isn't necessarily a sign of poor effort but rather reflects several key aspects of how elite teams utilize their attacking superstars:

1. **Role Specialization:** At both club and international level (especially for Brazil), Neymar operates primarily as a free roving forward or second striker. His core responsibilities involve occupying defenders, creating chances from advanced positions,La Liga Highlights scoring goals, and initiating attacks – *not* acting as a first line of defense deep in his own half. Coaches strategically preserve his energy for offensive threats. High tackle counts are typically demanded from midfielders or fullbacks tasked with breaking up play closer to goal.

* *Comparison:* Midfielders like Marco Verratti (PSG era) regularly exceeded 3 tackles/90min in similar matches.

2. **Tactical Discipline & Positioning:** Top players understand the futility of getting drawn into physical battles far from goal. Neymar intelligently drops off when necessary to help build up play safely but avoids committing recklessly into challengers deep in his team’s territory where opponents target him physically. He conserves strength and reduces injury risk by letting dedicated defenders handle the dirty work initially.

3. **Focus on Ball Retention:** His primary defensive contribution comes through intelligent pressing high up the pitch to win back possession quickly near the opponent's goal rather than making last-ditch interventions behind his defense. Securing loose balls after failed shots or interceptions closer to goal counts statistically differently from traditional "tackles."

4. **Physical Preservation:** Given his history of injuries, managers implement careful management protocols. Minimizing high-impact challenges is crucial to keep him fit for critical offensive moments late in games or across dense fixtures schedules. Each ground duel carries inherent risk.

**Context is Key:** It would be fundamentally misleading to judge Neymar's defensive value solely by tackle metrics. His immense impact comes from orchestrating chaos in attacking thirds, drawing fouls (free kicks), creating opportunities, and directly contributing goals/assists – areas where he remains exceptionally potent even against top defenses like Al Nassr's. The low tackle count simply highlights how modern tactics optimize world-class attackers by shielding them from unnecessary defensive duties. For true defensive actions originating from advanced zones, look instead at his interceptions or successful presses regaining possession advanced on the field.

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