Brazil Star Neymar Maturing into Integral Role with Barcelona

A hat-trick for Neymar at the weekend proved just one of the highlights for Barcelona as they thumped Granada 6-0 and stayed top of La Liga for another week.

With the Brazilian forward an almost indisputable starter in Luis Enrique's somewhat-altered side for 2014-15, he is evolving from the second-placed performer of last campaign into a player with the potential to be a cornerstone of the team's attack.

There is more work yet ahead of Neymar, but this season could easily see him transitioned into one of the most reliable performers in the Spanish top flight.

Top Scorers, Not Top Performers

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

After six games of the 14-15 campaign, La Liga's top two scorers are Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, with 10, and Neymar himself with six.

Despite their fantastic return rate in front of goal—both have made only half the number of starts to goals scored—neither have been absolutely on top of their game so far, matching their finishing to all-round performances.

In both instances, it has been a case of opportunism and consistently trying their luck at shooting, which have yielded goals, while others on the team have perhaps had better 90-minute performances in them. Goals mean wins, of course, so Neymar has been important to the Barcelona cause, but there is still more to come from his all-round displays.

"

Neymar's career stats at 22 years old: Games: 328 Goals: 191 Assists: 100. pic.twitter.com/Dc8ov29VzS

— Seleção Brasileira (@BrazilStats) September 30, 2014"

Against Granada at the weekend, he might have scored three, but he looked oddly ponderous at times, failed to beat his man one-on-one on several occasions and seemed just a little out of touch with the flow of the game. It's not surprising: After a heavy summer workload at the World Cup, Neymar also suffered an injury and missed much of pre-season as a result. He (and Ronaldo the same) is still working his way back to top sharpness.

That he is still finding the net regularly in the meantime is to his credit—and is a worry for the rest of the league, surely.

"

6 - Neymar has scored 6 goals in his last 5 competitive games. Threat.

— OptaJean (@OptaJean) September 30, 2014"

System Built for Neymar to Flourish

This isn't a 4-3-3 for Barcelona in the usual sense, even taking into account the fact that the "No. 9" is Lionel Messi.

Noticeable differences from last season see the team pressing rabidly once more, attempting to pen the opposition back in their own area for long spells, while the tempo is raised and the forwards are getting into goalscoring positions far quicker now.

This system, with two "wide" forwards and Messi, is one which Neymar will thrive on far more this term, for several reasons.

David Ramos/Getty Images

Neymar—and on the opposite side, Pedro or Munir—do not have such a wide starting point as last season. They almost operate as a two in attack, working the channels certainly but with ample licence to receive the ball and attack through the centre of the penalty box. The wider areas of the pitch are left for the full-backs to rove into once more, with Dani Alves on the right recently showing particular ability and consistency to provide ammunition for those in the centre.

The Brazilian forward has also been clearly visible in making sure that he is a penalty-box presence more frequently this season; not only being involved in build-up play, but following the ball into the area far more than was usual last term.

While Messi schemes and creates, drops deep and roves wide, beyond the defence or wherever he pleases, Neymar is developing as the team's goalscorer by way of his positioning and anticipation.

Get into the box, chances will fall his way. Follow-up goals and getting on the end of pull-backs served to see him score two of his three against Granada, and they will be followed by far more if he continues in that vein.

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.@neymarjr 's first league hat trick http://t.co/SkIEzges9Y #neymar #FCBarcelona pic.twitter.com/6LI33An0Oi

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) September 28, 2014"

S'N'M

Lest we forget, there is another component to add to this already stellar Barcelona attack, ready to implement more pain and humiliation on opponents.

David Ramos/Getty Images

Luis Suarez's return to first-team action draws ever nearer as his ban expires and, once he joins up as the right-sided attacker in this three-pronged attack, Barcelona's relentless ability to press, expose and go for the kill will jump up several more notches.

His aggression and off-the-ball selflessness will be a direct complement to Neymar's searing acceleration, instinct to attack the box and this trait seen early in 2014-15 of following in moves to their very end.

Everybody awaits to see how it flows together, and although it might take the Uruguayan time to get up to speed—though in truth, you can expect him to be an immediate success and probably not be disappointed—adding Lionel Messi into the mix around and behind those two is just an invitation for a massacre of opposition defences.

David Ramos/Getty Images

Suarez. Neymar. Messi.

Three greats, each with their own traits and plenty of scoring ability to help Barcelona back to challenging on all fronts. Two are already complete, at their peak.

Neymar is growing into the player expected of him, and the early signs from this season are that Luis Enrique has it in him to help the Brazilian evolve into the perfect cornerstone for this attack. The player himself has to push on and take those next steps, but the Barça attack is his to rule if he progresses and improves over the coming weeks and months.

Follow @karlmatchett