Vitinha snatches Ligue 1's top assist title from a Lens rival, highlighting PSG's attacking prowess even as the title race intensifies.
Still behind Lens in the Ligue 1 standings after Matchday 18, Paris Saint-Germain has taken a symbolic badge from Lens, that of top assist provider.
Having temporarily moved to the top of Ligue 1 Friday night after its fine 3-0 victory against Lille, PSG is second in the standings after Matchday 18, with RC Lens having won 1-0 Saturday against Auxerre and possessing one point more than Luis Enrique's team.
PSG remains, however, more than ever well placed in the title race and still has the best goal difference at +25, although it is only the second-best defense behind Lens and the second-best attack behind Marseille. The victory against Lille, in any case, allowed PSG to take a badge from the Sang et Or, that of Top Assister.
Vitinha New Ligue 1 Top Assister
The provider of an assist on Dembélé's first goal against Lille, Vitinha, validated his 6th assist of the season in Ligue 1. He has 7 according to some sites, but 6 for the LFP, which only attributed one assist to him against Lens (and not two) on September 14 last, considering that his second pass for Bradley Barcola that day was not decisive enough to be counted.
Vitinha therefore has 6 assists for the LFP, as many as the former Top Assister Adrien Thomasson (Lens). The Portuguese player owes his first place to the fact that he delivered his 6 assists from open play, against only 3 assists from open play for the Lens player.
And in case of a tie, the assist providers are separated in the following manner by the LFP:
- The one who has made the greatest number of assists from open play.
- The one who has made his assists in the greatest number of matches.
- The one who has played the fewest minutes to deliver his assists.
Ligue 1 Top Assisters Standings After MD18
- Vitinha (PSG): 6 assists (0 from PK, across 5 matches, 1289 minutes)
- Thomasson (Lens): 6 assists (3 from PK, across 4 matches, 1490 minutes)
- Moreira (OL): 5 assists (0 from PK, across 4 matches, 737 minutes)
- Aubameyang (OM): 5 assists (0 from PK, across 4 matches, 1038 minutes)
- Udol (Lens): 5 assists (0 from PK, across 4 matches, 1609 minutes)
- Ajorque (Brest): 5 assists (0 from PK, across 3 matches, 1474 minutes)
The two other best-ranked Parisians are Désiré Doué (13th with 3 assists, including one for Dembélé against Lille) and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (14th with 3 assists). Vitinha will wear the Ligue 1 Top Assister badge on the back of his jersey for the Auxerre vs. PSG match of Ligue 1 Matchday 19 scheduled for Saturday, January 23.
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