PSG's midfielder shines as Portugal triumphs

During the international break, Portugal faced Croatia on the first matchday of the Nations League. The Portuguese secured a victory, with Vitinha delivering an impressive performance that earned praise from the Portuguese press.

For Matchday 1 of the Nations League in League A, Portugal hosted Croatia at Lisbon’s Estadio da Luz. Roberto Martinez’s men won 2-1, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring his 900th career goal. Nuno Mendes played a crucial role, assisting the five-time Ballon d'Or winner in this historic moment.

Despite playing the entire match, the left-back wasn’t the focus of attention after the win. While Ronaldo’s milestone stole the headlines, Portuguese media highlighted the standout performance of another PSG player: Vitinha.

PSG's midfielder shines as Portugal triumphs

Wearing the number 17 for PSG, Vitinha had to leave the pitch in the 90th minute due to an ankle injury, but not before showcasing his talent. He touched the ball the most (114 times), had the highest pass completion rate (101/103, or 98%), and won four out of his five duels.

His performance did not go unnoticed by the Portuguese press, as Record wrote:

"The master of the ball! He was the only player to make over 100 passes, successfully completing 100 out of 102. This efficiency is even more remarkable when you consider that he almost always made the right decision, giving fluidity to Portugal’s movements."

The only downside was Vitinha’s injury. As mentioned earlier, the midfielder was subbed out in the final minutes, and replaced by Pedro Goncalves.

Due to his ankle injury, Vitinha is already ruled out for Sunday’s second international match against Scotland. Portugal's coach Roberto Martinez said following the victory over Croatia:

"The medical evaluation is still pending, but it’s certain that he won’t play against Scotland due to an ankle issue. We’ll assess the situation over the next 48 hours."

Vitinha could return to PSG’s training ground sooner than expected to receive treatment with the club’s medical team. PSG will resume domestic competition on Friday, September 14, against Stade Brestois in Ligue 1 Matchday 4.