The idea that someone else might eventually be beaten even more comprehensively is unlikely to be much consolation to Bessa, though, and even seeing such a thing happen is unlikely to remove the memory of this moment from his subconscious. Imagine what it will look like, he says, when I pull it off properly. By producing something so crass and yet so effective, Paquetá tells us the best is yet to come.

It’s not even a classic rainbow flick, and yet the ugliness of the technique somehow adds to its beauty. If anything, Paquetá’s move is inconsiderate: this man has to go home and look his family in the eye after they’ve all just witnessed him get his soul handed to him with little (if any) consideration for his wellbeing. After all, if you fail then the unwritten rules of the game dictate that you have to announce your retirement on the spot. With that in mind, Bessa’s choice is perhaps the best of a bad bunch: jog back and hope you’re able to fade into the background, before waiting for something else to capture people’s attention.Ĭoming back and attempting to make a tackle is simply out of the question in this spot. Succeed, and you’re in line for a yellow card at best and in danger of picking up a second when the Milan player inevitably beats you in an even more humiliating manner later in the game.Īfter failing to leave Paquetá on the deck with whiplash, watching him just stroll past, your options are even more limited. The problem, of course, is that by doing such a thing you’re showing your hand too early. How are you supposed to prepare for something which wasn’t supposed to be an option?īessa’s instinctive response is the only logical one: attempting to clothesline Paquetá as if to warn him against ever trying any of that nonsense again.

It’s like getting the prime seat at the cinema only for all the action to go on behind you, or revising for a history exam only to be asked questions about the future. He hadn’t considered the alternative option of “over him” because that isn’t supposed to exist in the situation. Genoa’s Daniel Bessa must have thought he’d done everything right, getting in the path of the Brazilian so there was no way through or even around him. While some might be put off by Kerlon’s failure to convert his seal dribble into a career in Europe, Paquetá has looked like a man intent on treating it as the inspiration needed to help him push on and go one better, refusing to compromise on what got him to the continent to begin with.Īfter setting up a counter-attack with a delightfully subtle flick on his debut in the Coppa Italia, Paquetá demonstrated how he’s not going to let the pressure of Serie A stop him from – to use a technical term – dicking around.

He has been using the first few games to see how long he can continue with the fun side of his game before the requirement for nonsense terms like “proper contributions” and “end product” kick in. The 21-year-old could be forgiven for taking a little time to find his feet after a January move from Flamengo – bringing him to European football for the first time – but instead it’s gone the other way. What we really need more of is those moments which force a defender’s soul to leave his body, and Lucas Paquetá knows all about that.Īfter an underwhelming few years at the San Siro, characterised by ordinary midfielders and poor performances elsewhere on the park, Paquetá is already suggesting he’ll be capable of bringing fun back to Milan. Scoring goals is fun, sure, but defenders can brush those off and come back into the game. With the level of fair play being pushed within the football world, there are times we forget the most important part of the game: outright disrespect.

Rainbow flick