As Paris Saint-Germain gear-up for Champions League football against FC Barcelona next week, we take a look at the growing importance of Portuguese midfielder Vitinha
After a year of adaptation and acclimatisation at Paris Saint-Germain, Portuguese midfielder Vitinha has emerged as an indispensable asset for Luis Enrique's side – replacing Marco Verratti as Les Parisiens' midfield maestro since the summer months.
The legacy of Marco Verratti still looms large at the club, but the former FC Porto midfielder has begun to make strides in filling the hole left by the Italian playmaker. Vitinha has become the second most-used player this season for Les Parisiens with 36 appearances, just behind Kylian Mbappé (37) and ahead of goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma (33).
A positive force on and off the pitch
Vitinha has also had an impact in front of goal this season, getting on the scoresheet on six occasions so far this campaign – whilst registering five assists for his teammates. It makes the Portuguese player the fourth top goalscorer at the club this season. It's highlighted in the way that Luis Enrique wants Vitinha to shoot from range, a quality that he lauded in his pre-match press conference ahead of facing Clermont in Ligue 1. Vitinha has now managed to settle well into PSG's changing room, and after learning to speak French, the midfielder is also a key figure for the club's communication both internally and towards the French press.
