On Wednesday, in the first leg of the 2025-2026 Champions League quarter-finals (second leg on April 14), Paris Saint-Germain will face Liverpool at the Parc des Princes (kick-off at 9 pm, CET). On the eve of this match, PSG midfielder Vitinha (26 years old) answered several questions at a press conference.
Vitinha: “The team takes responsibility”
What kind of leader is Dembélé? Has he changed since winning the Ballon d’Or?
I would say he’s always been a bit of a leader, even when he wasn’t captain. When you have a guy who does what he does on the pitch, it’s contagious. He’s a kind of leader. After winning the Ballon d’Or, he has that status. But it’s a natural thing.
Does Ruiz’s absence lead to a change in roles, since Zaïre-Emery is playing?
It’s true he’s been out for a while. We want all the players available, even more so a player who was playing all the time last year. They’re different, that’s true. But it’s up to us to adapt. And I think we’ve already shown many times that when someone is absent, no matter who, the team takes responsibility and wins, it rises to the occasion. That’s the most important thing, one way or another. I also adjust my game; you have to be ready.
Vitinha: “Sometimes you can’t control it.”
How do you avoid injuries?
I’ve been lucky enough not to have any problems, and we’ll continue to hope we don’t. Sometimes you can’t control it. We’re all very professional. We do what we can to recover well; we have a lot of things going on. I think we all do. After that, it’s a matter of luck and genetics. I’m glad the injuries haven’t happened. Luck is important too (smile).
Vitinha: “There are no favorites, there are two big matches.”
Are you getting used to the favorite status? Are you really the favorite tomorrow?
That’s just your opinion, like Liverpool was last year. It doesn’t mean anything to us. We know football well; there are no favorites. Liverpool is Liverpool, even if they’re not in ideal form. They’re a team with great players. On a Champions League night, anything can happen. There are no favorites, there are two big matches. Tomorrow, we’ll be at 100%, ready to go. We know that by putting in the right effort, we can get a good result, but it’s still a very difficult match.
Did Dembélé’s dig change anything?
We talked about it, we’re calm, we know our teammates well. He was fired up at the end of the match, he spoke out, that’s normal. He had a point, we took it well and we moved on. We saw a good result.
Did you take it personally?
No, not at all (smiles).
Vitinha: “We’ll be alert, 100% ready.”
Does PSG have a psychological advantage?
If it benefits us, I hope so. If it harms us, I don’t want it. The mental aspect is very important in this type of match. We can only control our own state, not the opponent’s. We’ll be alert, 100% ready, as we always have been.
Vitinha: “We’re looking forward to it. But it will be a different match.”
Last year, you felt you were close to perfection in the Round of 16? Did that change your season?
They were two exceptional matches, Arne Slot talked about them a lot. In the first match, there was frustration. We did everything, we controlled the game very well, Liverpool didn’t have any chances except for the goal, even though Alisson made a lot of saves. That’s what we want to do, but it’s not easy. People make the mistake of thinking it is. There was frustration.
We were talking about how we could win playing like that there. We were able to do it, but that was last year. There are changes, it’s a different year. A lot can happen in a week, even more in a year. We’re looking forward to it. But it will be a different match.
Vitinha: “He’s a fundamental part of the team.”
How would it be for you to face a former club, like Ekitike tomorrow?
I can’t say, I haven’t experienced it. As for Ekitike, I can say he’s a fantastic guy. I enjoyed playing with him. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the right situation for him. But he managed to turn things around, and I wish him all the best, except for tomorrow.
What does Hakimi bring to the team?
He’s a fundamental part of the team, not just because of his incredible stats. He gives us an advantage offensively. He adds so much to our game. And then, he does all the defensive work. He’s a complete player, an extra player who is very important for the team. I hope he continues like this; he’s indispensable.
Vitinha: “They have a superb team; it’s always dangerous to play against them.”
There’s a lot of pressure on Liverpool; can you use that to your advantage?
I’ll say what I said earlier: Liverpool will always be Liverpool. We know they’re not at their best. If we can take advantage of that, we will. We know psychology is important. But we’re being very careful. They have a superb team; it’s always dangerous to play against them. We’ll give it our all, we’ll be very focused on winning.
