“Nobody talks about him” - Thierry Henry hails underrated PSG star as ‘main man’ ahead of Kylian Mbappe after Champions League comeback
Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has labelled midfielder Vitinha as the main man for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) over Kylian Mbappe after their recent Champions League exploits.
The Parisians managed to turn their quarter-final against Barcelona around from 3-2 down to win it 6-4 on aggregate. Although Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele were widely shown appreciation for their performances, Vitinha's contributions made a significant difference.
He produced a smart finish to put PSG in the lead against Barcelona in the first leg and scored a belter from outside the box to level the proceedings on aggregate in the second.
Following these performances, Henry told CBS Sports:
“The main man for me, he’s been running the show for this team for a very, very long time now, is Vitinha. Nobody talks about him. He scored in Paris, he scored again tonight. He was everywhere tonight. But yes, tomorrow Kylian [Mbappe] will grab all the headlines.”
So far this season, Vitinha has played 10 matches in Europe's highest club competition, bagging two goals and an assist. He will be important to PSG's chances of qualifying for the summit clash when they take on Borussia Dortmund in the final-four stage.
The first leg of the Parisian team's semi-final is scheduled for April 30 in Dortmund, after which they will host the German side at the Parc des Princes on May 7.
Kylian Mbappe says he dreams of winning Champions League with PSG
Kylian Mbappe has admitted that he dreams of winning the Champions League with PSG after their incredible turnaround against Barcelona. The Frenchman bagged two goals on the day to help the Parisians secure a spot in the semi-finals.
Mbappe has been brilliant this season, having notched up 41 goals and nine assists in 42 matches across competitions. He said after PSG's second-leg win on Tuesday, April 16 (via ESPN):
"I have the dream of winning the Champions League with Paris. I'm proud to be at PSG since the first day. It's not because there are good times and bad times that my pride takes a hit. The pride of playing for this club, of representing the club of the capital of my country, it's something special for me who grew up there."
So far in his career, Mbappe has played 302 matches across competitions for PSG, bagging 253 goals and 107 assists. He's won the Ligue title five times, among other honors.