The Incredible Data Behind PSG's Midfield Superstar Vitinha

In the last few years, PSG midfielder Vitinha has become one of the very best midfielders in world football.

The 26-year old is incredibly fun to watch. The way he plays the game, the way he dictates the tempo— how he can speed things up but also slow it down when necessary. In fact, he’s so good to watch that some people have actually labelled him as an “aesthetics merchant”.

Well, the stats back up the eye test too. Indeed so, as DataMB show just how good the Portuguese international is when compared to other midfielders playing in Europe’s top seven leagues (Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Serie A, Serie A, Eredivise and Liga Portugal).

Compared to all other midfielders playing in said leagues, Vitinha ranks first (per 90) in the following categories; passes (attempted), passes completed, long passes (attempted), and long passes completed. He also ranks second for passes (attempted) to final third, passes completed to final third, and touches of the ball.

So, in terms of the eye test, Vitinha passes with flying colours. In terms of the stats and underlying data, he passes with flying colours. And well, when you’re part of a team that have won back to back UEFA Champions League titles, and are joint favourites to do so again, then well you have to be pretty effective too, right? 

Visually, statistically and efficiently, Vitinha is right up there with the very best midfielder and players in world football. You’d be hard pressed to find a reasonable argument to prove otherwise at this stage.

Some people have labelled him a "system player" who is incapable of reaching the same heights for the Portugal national team. Well, PSG are a better team than Portugal, and the Champions League is a higher standard than international football - so, if he is not good enough for the national team, that suggests the issues lie elsewhere. 

There is certainly nobody else that Enrique and PSG would rather have in their midfield than Vitinha and his compatriot Joao Neves, who are consistently two of the best performing players for the best team in the world. 

What a player, and what a signing that was back in 2022. The club were able to look past the failed loan spell in the Premier League with Wolverhampton Wanderers back in the 20/21 season, and saw the world class potential. Superb.