Akin Ayomide
Portuguese midfielder Vitinha said Paris Saint-Germain’s home clash with undefeated Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday will be a meeting between “the two best teams in Europe”.
PSG come into the sternest test yet of their European title defense top of the French Ligue 1 and with three wins from three so far in the league phase. But their opponents, Bayern, have started their season with a European record 15 wins in 15 outings, and sit second behind only PSG in the standings in the continent’s elite club competition.
“We are the two best teams in Europe. Bayern are in fantastic form. We’re also doing well, continuing our momentum from last year,” Vitinha told his pre-match press conference on Monday.
But as for who is mightiest between the two heavyweights, the 25-year-old said Tuesday’s match will tell.
“The answer will be given tomorrow. We have to talk on the pitch,” he told reporters.
“When you’re a player, you want to play in this type of match because everyone wants to see it, and people will say, ‘this team is better because they won’.”
PSG coach Luis Enrique was, however, more temperate in his build-up to the game.
“To find out who is the best team in Europe, we have to wait until the end of the season and see how many trophies each team wins,” the 55-year-old said.
“Right now, it’s clear they are very strong… It’s incredible that they’ve won their last 15 matches. We already have trouble winning three or four matches.”
If PSG have been less dominant than Bayern domestically — drawing three matches and losing one in 11 league outings — Luis Enrique said supporters should still “trust” his side to show they can best the Bavarians.
“Do you think that I or the supporters should assess our team? I don’t think so, we deserve to have a little trust,” the Spaniard said.
“But on Tuesday at the Parc des Princes with our supporters, we have the confidence we need to overcome their pressing game.”