Naples: Brazil centre-back David Luiz began life with his new club French champions Paris Saint-Germain with a 2-1 win in a friendly against Italian side Napoli on Monday.
The 27-year-old — who cost the French side a reported €50 million (Dh245.90 million) when he signed from Chelsea in June — fared better than his national and club captain Thiago Silva, who had to go off in the 13th minute and trudged to the dressing room with his right thigh strapped with ice.
Both only returned to France last week after taking a holiday following the World Cup, where Luiz wept openly following the 7-1 humiliation by eventual champions Germany in the semi-finals — Luiz captained the side as Silva was suspended — and then lost to the Dutch in the third place match.
Two others who also only recently returned, Argentinian Ezequiel Lavezzi and Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani, received different reactions from the home crowd, for whom they were heroes until they left in 2012 and 2013 respectively.
Lavezzi — who impressed at the World Cup and was arguably Argentina’s most effective player till he went off at half-time of the 1-0 defeat to Germany in the final — went off to a standing ovation, but Cavani weas booed and jeered throughout.
Lavezzi’s compatriot Gonzalo Higuain gave Rafael Benitez’s side the lead six minutes into the second half, only for PSG’s Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who had come on at the beginning of the second half, to level four minutes later.
Luiz went close to opening his account for PSG with a thunderous header from a corner in the 76th minute, but it went over the bar.
The visitors secured victory with a superb solo effort by Javier Pastore, the Argentinian outfoxing several Napoli defenders before slotting home 13 minutes from time.
