PSG midfield trio hailed as among football’s greatest after Villarreal rout

Paris Saint-Germain’s midfield trio of Vitinha, Joao Neves and Fabian Ruiz has sparked comparisons with some of the finest units in football history after their outstanding display in Tuesday’s 6-0 Champions League win at Villarreal.

The three players scored half of PSG’s goals, with Joao Neves opening the scoring before Fabian Ruiz added two more. Their influence, however, extended well beyond their contribution in front of goal as they controlled the tempo and underpinned a dominant team performance.

Their display prompted French radio station RMC’s After Foot programme to consider whether the midfield could rank among the best ever seen in the game. PSG’s level of control and cohesion has become such that exceptional performances are beginning to appear routine, with the midfield trio identified as central to the ease of their victory in Spain.

Jean-Louis Tourre, editor-in-chief of the football section at RMC Sport, said PSG’s midfield is currently the best in the world and could eventually secure an exceptional place in football history if the players maintain their form over a sustained period.

“When we assess a Paris Saint-Germain match, we have to start with the midfield three because they are the ones who make the entire game seem easy,” Tourre said.

“When you put exceptional players such as Desire Doue or Achraf Hakimi alongside them, they make everyone around them better. With these players, you can field young players, rotate the squad and rest key players in other positions because you have some of the best players in the world in their positions as your foundations.”

He added: “There is nobody equal to them in the world, and I believe that even in the history of football there will not be many like them if they maintain this level of performance for a long time.”

Although Tourre did not name direct rivals for the current PSG trio, RMC’s report recalled several historic midfield combinations.

The most obvious comparison is Barcelona’s dominant unit from the late 2000s and early 2010s, featuring Xavi Hernandez, Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta.

Other examples mentioned included Real Madrid’s midfield in 2002, led by Zinedine Zidane alongside Luis Figo and Claude Makelele; an AC Milan midfield containing Gennaro Gattuso, Rivaldo, Andrea Pirlo and Clarence Seedorf; and Manchester United during Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign, with Paul Scholes, Roy Keane and Ryan Giggs.

Joao Neves himself rejected comparisons with football legends and said PSG’s authority in midfield came from their approach rather than from intimidating opponents.

“I don’t think so,” the Portugal international said when asked whether opponents were afraid of PSG. “We have shown that we want to play with the ball, run everywhere and defend in the best way possible.”

He added: “When you do not have much space or enough time to deal with the ball, playing becomes more difficult. We rely on a high press, and you know how much we keep moving when we have possession. These are things we try to implement.”