Best of the half-season: Midfielder
As we prepare for the return of Ligue 1 McDonald's this weekend, our team of writers have selected some of their favourites of the season's first half. Hear from Eric, George & Luke as they talk about their best moments before the season resumes, continuing with our picks for the best midfielder.
Eric: Adrien Thomasson, RC Lens
Always a tidy player with Nantes and Strasbourg, known for his composure and creativity, Adrien Thomasson has, at 32, reinvented himself in the north of France. Tasked with playing a more deep-lying position following the departures of Neil El-Aynaoui and Andy Diouf, he has taken to his new role like a duck to water, without losing any of his inventiveness. Ranked third in the division for tackles, he allows his balanced play to help run the show while the more physical Mamadou Sangaré provides a bit more steel.
George: Joao Neves, PSG
When it comes to midfielders, Paris Saint-Germain are blessed with talent, and João Neves is no different. Since his arrival from Benfica, the 21-year-old has become a central figure in PSG’s midfield, and has naturally formed a highly effective partnership with Vitinha.
Neves offers everything a modern midfielder demands: aggressive pressing, calm distribution and the freedom to influence games in multiple roles. Comfortable as a creator or deeper presence, he combines discipline with flair. Goals have increasingly followed, too, with Neves adding late runs, long-range strikes and decisive moments in the box to his game.
Luke: Vitinha, PSG
There are plenty of contenders in this category, chief among them Adrien Thomasson, so vital to a Lens team that top Ligue 1 McDonald's. However, you can't overlook Vitinha, who, as well as being the best midfielder in French football, is also currently the best midfielder in world football. The Portugal international oozes class, setting the tempo for a globetrotting PSG side who are coming off the most successful calendar year in their history.
Vitinha's form earned him a top-three spot in last year's Ballon d'Or, and he is already getting shouts to win the award in the future. One of them was from Thomas Frank, and no wonder, given that the midfielder scored a hat-trick against his Tottenham Hotspur side in the Champions League earlier this season. The other was from an esteemed former Parisien and World Cup winner, Blaise Matuidi. The way he is going, you can't rule out Vitinha winning that prestigious individual prize this year.
