PSG’s midfield embarrassed Liverpool on Wednesday night, with Vitinha at the heart of everything good they did.
The Portuguese star has developed into one of the very best in the world in his position, cemented by a third-place Ballon d’Or finish last year. He ran the show against Liverpool, showing just how effective that profile of midfielder is.
It’s a stark contrast to the performance from Alexis Mac Allister, another diminutive, technically brilliant number eight. He wasn’t at it — nor has he been for most of the campaign.
THE FINAL: Who do you want to see as Liverpool manager next season? ⏩
A fresh face in Alonso, or the iconic Klopp?
RTK Poll Jurgen Klopp vs Xabi Alonso
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Vitinha vs Alexis Mac Allister by the numbers
It feels unfair to make a direct comparison between the two players. PSG dominated Liverpool with 74% of the ball.
But let’s look at Vitinha, who made a staggering 133 passes with an accuracy of 96%, and took a game-leading 147 touches. In other words, he controlled the game from minute one. If Liverpool pressed high, he stayed calm and advanced through effortlessly — truly a joy to watch.
The kind of performance Mac Allister has failed to produce this season, with the Argentine looking seriously out of legs. On the season, he averages just 42 successful passes with 86% accuracy.
He doesn’t float around the pitch like the PSG star. He did last season, and had far more goal threat than Vitinha, but that too seems to have escaped him.
Alexis Mac Allister of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
MORE LIVERPOOL STORIES
Mac Allister has played a crazy amount of minutes for club and country since winning the World Cup in 2022, and it’s clear he is not 100% physically. With another tournament in the summer, it’s not going to get much better.
That’s okay if you’re providing the kind of metronomic play Vitinha delivered on Wednesday night in that Champions League first leg. Unfortunately, Mac Allister isn’t.
Liverpool need something different to Alexis Mac Allister
This is the rogue shout that will annoy some fans. If Liverpool were to sell him, it wouldn’t be due to a lack of ability, but rather the circumstances surrounding the squad Arne Slot is trying to build.
We think a back three is on the table, and with Florian Wirtz as an attacking-focused number 10, the lion’s share of the workload will fall on the two central midfielders.
Do you still think Liverpool can turn the quarter-final around at Anfield?
2-0 down vs PSG, it's going to be some ask from here…
Jeremie Frimpong takes throw-in for Liverpool in front of Arne Slot
Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP via Getty Images
As outstanding a footballer as Mac Allister is, and as combative as he is in the middle of the park, he can’t cover the same ground as Dominik Szoboszlai or Ryan Gravenberch.
Regrettably, I think Liverpool should cash in on a player at the peak of his powers, receiving a healthy fee to go towards a Caicedo-type midfielder. Someone who can offer protection to the back line that Mac Allister can’t.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox