This Wednesday, Paris Saint-Germain faced Brest at the Parc de Princes as part of the Champions League 2024-2025 play-offs. Parisian midfielder Vitinha stopped by the mixed zone after the 7-0 victory (video highlights PSG/Brest,10-0 overall). He spoke of PSG’s great collective performance and their desire to give it their all from start to finish.
Vitinha “We played a very good game, a collective game”.
“You were man of the match, what did you think of this big win?
We all think together on the pitch, and that’s the true definition of a team. We keep things simple, we give the ball to whoever’s in the best position, it shows and that makes the difference.
Vitinha: “We made an effort offensively and defensively”.
You never let up, always trying to score one more goal…
I’d also add that at the start of a match, when you have an advantage like that (3-0 in the first leg), you can unconsciously relax, and we didn’t. We made the offensive and defensive efforts, and that was the key to the match.
Vitinha “We responded perfectly on the pitch”.
Did the coach insist on this before the match?
We talked about it a lot, even amongst ourselves. We responded perfectly on the pitch. We always wanted to score and play well.
Are you fully ready for the rest of the competition?
I don’t have a preference for the rest of the competition (either Liverpool or Barça in the Round of 16), but it’s incredible that the whole squad is almost here (without injury). The staff deserve a lot of credit for that, and we’re very happy”, comments relayed by L’Equipe.
These are very pleasing words, especially as Vitinha is often quite critical of the team. He’s demanding. Now, PSG have done a good job, and we have to salute and appreciate that. As for what happens next, history has it that PSG will draw Barcelona, but inheriting Liverpool would be a great opportunity to have a rarer, more unique match. In any case, PSG are only in the 8ᵉ final, so we’re going to have to work hard and keep up this formidable state of mind.
Vitinha knows it, winning brings confidence, but all that can quickly topple if the team sees itself too high, too fast. There’s Ligue 1 and the French Cup to look forward to, and then there’s the Champions League. It’s all very exciting, and the Parisian players have done everything to put themselves in such a tasty and comfortable position. But let’s not get carried away: a season doesn’t end in February. That’s when it all begins.
