Neymar on Sunday dedicated his second goal in Paris Saint-Germain’s 2-0 win at Lille OSC to basketball legend Kobe Bryant, whose death in a helicopter crash earlier shocked the world, as his brace fired the French champions 10 points clear at the top of Ligue 1.
The world’s most expensive player slotted home a 52nd-minute penalty and went over to a television camera by the side of the Stade Pierre Mauroy pitch to make the No. 24 with his fingers in honor of Bryant’s shirt number.
“It’s deeply saddening for the world of sport and for all of us,” Neymar told Canal+ after the win. “Not just for basketball fans, but for everything he did for sport.”
Neymar had already put his side ahead with a fine strike in the first half before putting the game out of reach, and increasing the gap between PSG and second-placed Olympique de Marseille.
His 12th league goal of the season tipped the balance in PSG’s favor after a positive start for the hosts, who were unbeaten at home ahead of the match.
The Brazilian almost immediately slipped through Kylian Mbappe, but the onrushing Mike Maignan stopped the FIFA World Cup-winner from scoring his 14th top-flight goal of the season.
Mbappe was stopped again by Maignan when he got his body in the way of a fierce close-range effort, but the away side were given a penalty soon after for a clear Gabriel handball.
Neymar squeezed his spot-kick just beyond Maignan, who got his hand to the shot, but looked on in horror as it made its way in off the post.
“We deserved to win, I think we played well,” PSG coach Thomas Tuchel said.
Neymar’s tribute came on what was already an emotional day in French soccer, with Nantes and Girondins de Bordeaux honoring their former striker Emiliano Sala, a year after his death in a plane crash.
The clubs remembered Argentine forward Sala before the Derby de l’Atlantique at the Stade de la Beaujoire.
Bordeaux won 1-0 courtesy of a late goal by Jimmy Briand as Nantes played most of the second half with 10 men after the dismissal of Andrei Girotto.
Sala was killed in January last year when the plane taking him to join Cardiff City after being bought from Nantes crashed near Guernsey.
Nantes wore a special white and pale blue shirt inspired by Argentina, while Bordeaux’s kit featured an Argentine flag beneath the club crest flanked by the player’s initials.
Proceeds from the sales of the strips were to be sent to the two Argentine clubs Sala played for in his youth.
A portrait of Sala was also displayed in the center circle during the warmup and there was a minute’s applause ahead of kickoff.
Supporters laid flowers outside the ground and broke out into a song commemorating Sala in the ninth minute, representing the shirt number worn by the player which has since been retired by Nantes.
Sala left his homeland to join Bordeaux in 2012, and then played for Nantes between 2015 and last year.
Earlier, Karl Toko Ekambi scored on his debut as Olympique Lyonnais defeated Toulouse 3-0.
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