How's your touch?
Every soccer player encounters this question at some point — a good first touch is considered essential for success at the elite level of the sport.
But what exactly is a first touch, though?
It's just as it sounds — it's the first contact a player makes with the ball, usually when receiving a pass. The "softer" the first touch, the better it is for the receiving player, as it keeps the ball close and makes it harder for defenders to, well, defend.
One of the best first touches in the game belongs to PSG and Brazil star Neymar, whose silky skills have made for many a viral video over the course of his career. Perhaps the best example of Neymar's insane foot skills came in a 2016 Champions League game while he was still starring for Barcelona. Upon receiving a cross-field pass from a teammate, Neymar jumped and calmly took down the ball while his right (receiving) leg was crossed behind the other.
It was a rare "Rabona" first touch move, incredibly tough to pull off in training let alone during a heated Champions League match. As he does, Neymar made it look easy before proceeding to lay in a low cross for his teammate.
Although nothing came of the chance, the sequence still went down as one of the more exciting plays in Neymar's career.
For Steve Nash and Stu Holden, looking back at Neymar's gem of a first touch presents another opportunity to recreate a famous moment from Champions Leagues past. The duo have already taken to the pool to duplicate Sergio Ramos' famed stoppage-time header from the 2014 final, they went to the beach to recreate Cristiano Ronaldo's ridiculous bicycle kick against Juventus in 2018, and they used the trunk of a vehicle to replicate Lionel Messi's picture-perfect free kick against Liverpool last year.
Now, Nash and Holden get to try step into another iconic Champions League moment, this time attempting Neymar's sublime first touch.
Watch the video above, or by visiting DAZN's YouTube channel, and stay tuned for more from Nash and Holden. On Aug. 12, they'll be trying to recreate Alphonso Davies shredding Chelsea's defence at warp speed.
DAZN has all the action of the Champions League restart, with exclusive rights to every game in Canada. Click here to see the upcoming schedule and how to watch.