How Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala upped his game by watching Neymar

Jamal Musiala is one of the fastest-rising stars in world football. He’s the model and jewel of Bayern Munich’s youth development system — has been for years — and is one of the German men’s national team’s great hopes for present and future. Known for his unreal finesse in tight spaces and qualities with the ball at his feet, Musiala is a nightmare for any defender to deal with.

Speaking to Bild, as captured by @iMiaSanMia, the youngster shared how he’s honed his craft over the years.

“It’s totally natural for me. I’ve often been in 1v1 situations. I know what I can and have to do. The more I play, the better is my feeling and understanding for the players.”

Musiala’s increase in playing time so far in 2022/23 — though he’s dealt with some minor injuries, he’s fast becoming one of Julian Nagelsmann’s key players — is propelling him to new heights and greater recognition. But it’s not the only thing helping him fine-tune his game.

“I watch many videos on YouTube, because I always wanted to have new tricks in mind,” he shared. “Neymar is the player I watched the most. He always has good ideas. I always liked his tricks and movements.”

And just like the nifty Brazilian and Paris Saint-German star, Musiala has had more than his share of outrageous highlights for club and country. A spark plug liable to explode at any time is a tremendous asset for any team, and Bayern are so thankful to have been able to pluck this talent away from Chelsea FC. Hopefully they’ll be able to keep him for a long time to come — the world’s biggest clubs are already starting to circle.