“Now is the time to show what kind of team we are. And we will do it, we will show character. We will win there”. This is what Paris Saint-Germain’s Vitinha said a few days before the second leg at Anfield. And in England, someone might have laughed mockingly because the English are firm in their belief that football barely exists outside the Premier League. If you don’t play for Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern, or one of the Italian giants, they hardly pay attention to you. After all, Vitinha had already played in the Premier League. In the 2020/2021 season, he wore the Wolverhampton jersey.The thriller we all new it was coming! Nunez does what he does the bestHe managed to collect only 513 league minutes, and Wolves sent him back to Porto, even though they had the option to buy him for 20 million euros. Their assessment? Not worth it. Last night, they were probably smacking their foreheads, wondering: “How did we miss this?!” Of course, Vitinha then and Vitinha now are not the same player. He went to England from Porto’s second team, and when he returned to the Estadio do Dragao, he finally took off. Just a year later, Paris Saint-Germain paid 41.5 million for him, and now?Vitinha has the best final third pass success rate (90%) of any midfielder in the #UCL this season (200+ passes). 🎯 pic.twitter.com/2iUHq27Fmx— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) March 12, 2025 Let Thierry Henry explain…”What this guy is doing – it’s a different sport. This is not the same football. You know when you control the tempo and rhythm of the game? That has to be counted. People always talk about players who can roll the ball and win games, and I get all that, but Vitinha? He controls the game. A completely different sport,” said the legendary Frenchman after the second leg against Liverpool.What a performance from Vitinha. 👏He became just the second PSG player on record (since 2003-04) to complete 100+ passes in both legs of a Champions League knockout stage tie, after Thiago Motta in 2015-16 vs Chelsea (last 16).His game by numbers at Anfield:136 touches… pic.twitter.com/WBP6q20Y6Y— Squawka (@Squawka) March 11, 2025 The stats only confirmed what even a casual observer could see. In the two matches against Liverpool, the Portuguese midfielder was the best on both teams in several categories:Most touches (268)Most successful passes (212)Most successful passes in the opponent’s half (117)Most ball carries (60)Distance covered while carrying the ball (695.5 meters)He also converted his penalty in the shootout – the 14th in his career – and every one has gone exactly where it needed to. But more importantly, Vitinha was constantly available, dictating play with his passes, positioning teammates, and winning back possession when needed. And while those who have followed PSG closely this season already knew, he has now definitively proven that he is one of the best midfielders in the game today.Not only they were put to sword by PSG, but Saints could steal Reds’ captain too (VIDEO)Everyone has seen it now. Even Karl Marius Aksum, Mjallby’s assistant coach, whose opinion is relevant here because he is an expert who likes to share his insights on social media.”I’ve analyzed around a hundred elite players and how they scan the field. And I doubt I’ve seen anyone better than Vitinha. He is absolutely aware of everything around him at all times”. Last night, the whole world saw it. But for the people at Wolverhampton, it’s long too late. Then again, Wolves lost Viktor Gyokeres in a similar fashion. They had everything agreed with Coventry, but their executive director, Jeff Shi, wasn’t in the country to sign the transfer papers, and Sporting took advantage of the opportunity.UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – ROUND OF 16Second legTuesdayBarcelona – Benfica 3-1 (3-1)/Raphinha 11, 42, Yamal 27 – Otamendi 13/Barcelona win 4-1 on aggInter Milan – Feyenoord 2-1 (1-1)/Thuram 8, Cahlanoglu 51 pen – Moder 42 pen/Inter win 4-1 on aggBayer Leverkusen – Bayern Munich 0-2 (0-0)/Kane 52, Davies 71/Bayern win 5-0 on aggLiverpool – PSG 0-1 (0-1)/Dembele 12/PSG win 5-3 after penalty shootoutWednesday20.45: (2.85) Lille (3.35) Dortmund (2.65)23.00: (1.42) Arsenal (4.80) PSV (9.00)23.00: (1.62) Aston Villa (3.90) Club Brugge (5.60)23.00: (2.60) Atl. Madrid (3.50) Real Madrid (2.85)***odds are subject to change***
