Rafinha enjoyed a fine Paris Saint-Germain debut following his arrival from Barcelona, assisting Kylian Mbappé for the opening goal in the champions' 4-0 destruction of Nîmes Olympique.
The Brazilian's slide-rule pass for the French FIFA World Cup winner just past the half hour set the tone for an impressive performance from the 27-year-old, who shook off a bad Loïck Landre challenge early on to help his side to a league-high 30 shots on goal.
Rafinha made way with the hour approaching, to be replaced by Colin Dagba, but coach Thomas Tuchel was delighted with his contribution, singling him out for special praise at his post-match press conference.
"Rafinha showed in this match that he was courageous," enthused the German tactician. "He showed that he knows how to take responsibility and he looked for attacking solutions. He had a good match."
Countryman Neymar was even more effusive, taking to Instagram to express his appreciation. "I am very happy to see you again my brother!" he wrote. "May we be as happy as we always were when we played together. Good luck to you here, I love you."
Neymar is currently isolating after testing positive for coronavirus, but the Samba pair could be reunited as soon as 20 October, when PSG open their UEFA Champions League Group H campaign against Manchester United.
