Vitinha, João Neves, Warren Zaïre-Emery. What if Luis Enrique had already found the perfect formula for his midfield? It’s hard to say for now, especially after only two Ligue 1 matches and at the dawn of a season in which the capital club is preparing to play just as many games. However, after the Parisian demonstration (6-0) against Montpellier HSC, it is clear that the trident lined up by the Spanish coach has scored a lot of points. Starting with the new recruit of the Rouge et Bleu, João Neves, author of a thunderous debut in the Parisian jersey. Arriving this summer from Benfica, the young Portuguese midfielder is, in fact, experiencing a dream start in the French capital.
João Neves XXL, Vitinha on his way
Coming into play at half-time against HAC on the first day, the Parisian number 87 had already shown his qualities, by providing his first two assists of the season. Solid in the duel, valuable in recovery and omnipresent for his partners, the player concerned confirmed this sparkling performance against the Héraultais. Present in the starting eleven, he shone throughout this match, sublimating the collective of the reigning French champions, while projecting himself offensively (7th, 63rd). With two new caviars, including a splendid one for Marco Asensio, Neves now has 4 assists after only two matches and 113 short minutes of play played. Figures summarizing the lightning adaptation of the player concerned, perfectly surrounded. And for good reason.
What can we say about the performance of his midfield mates? Following on from his sparkling 2023-2024 season, Vitinha has once again proven that he is now an essential link in this team. In a sentinel role, the ex-FC Porto player dictated the tempo. Still as technically inspired and unstoppable in small spaces, the 1m72 right-hander generally had fun against the Héraultais. With 101 successful passes (out of 105), 6 recovered balls and 100% of duels won, the Parisian number 17, credited with a 7.5 by the FM editorial team, will ultimately have been a providential relay in a perfectly oiled midfield. A sector where Warren Zaïre-Emery was also found…
11 balls recovered and a gem for Warren Zaïre-Emery…
At 18 years old, the latter also impressed everyone. More than his disconcerting volume of play, the native of Montreuil shone with his cleanliness with the ball at his feet and his ability to break lines (11 balls recovered, 7 duels won). Impeccable until his exit (he was replaced by the young Ibrahim Mbaye in the last quarter of an hour), the Parisian Titi only missed one pass and lost only two small balls. And as if that were not enough, WZE took the liberty of humiliating Kiki Kouyaté with a small bridge before adjusting Benjamin Lecomte (59th) for the fifth goal of the evening. Enough to make Luis Enrique proud, in heaven when he presented himself at the press conference.
“Yes, it was a perfect evening, especially for the first day we met our supporters again. For our return to the Parc, we played a very, very complete match, in attack as well as in defense. I try to convey to everyone what I feel as a coach, that is to say to be able to benefit from a squad of a very, very high level. We have to wait until the end of the season and see what the team has done to see the evolution. But I benefit at each training session from a very complete squad, very versatile and who really want to make history.”. With such a midfield, not to mention the contribution of Achraf Hakimi in the offensive phase, (Fabian Ruiz, Kang-In Lee, Marco Asensio, Désiré Doué can also contribute in this sector of the game), PSG – provisional leader – seems, whatever happens, to have given itself the means to achieve its ambitions…
