Vitinha still searching for his Portugal role despite PSG form | OneFootball

Withdrawn on 62 minutes in the 2-1 last 16 win over Croatia, Vitinha has become the emblem of a Seleçao still searching for an identity. Despite starring for PSG in recent seasons, he has yet to exert the same influence for Portugal.

According to L'Équipe, Bernardo Silva replaced him against Croatia, reviving the question of whether creators are constrained by Ronaldo-shaped structures. Silva has spent around a decade with the national team without ever being given the keys.

He opened the tournament against DR Congo with 128 passes, 121 completed, both competition records, in only 83 minutes.

Subsequent games saw Portugal go round in circles. Struggling to find inside solutions or combine with Bruno Fernandes, often dropping between his centre-backs, Vitinha lost his way after the break against Croatia and drove forward into a Croatian trap before he was taken off.

Before the 0-0 with Colombia, Roberto Martinez said Vitinha was not in the squad when he arrived in January 2023, praised his emergence, and warned that limited training time and differing midfield profiles make change difficult. He said Portugal must find a way to accommodate Vitinha, João Neves, Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva.

His cause was not helped by PSG’s Champions League double, with their players joining up less than two weeks before facing DR Congo. His minutes have dipped from 83 to 70 to 62 across the last three matches. On Monday we will learn whether the Porto-trained midfielder’s future begins in a post-Ronaldo setup.

Source: L'Équipe