ShareParis Saint-Germain are well-placed to retain their Champions League crown with João Neves driving the French giants to more success.By Graham RuthvenLiverpool have been made to look lifeless more than a few times this season, but Paris Saint-Germain’s performance in last week’s Champions League meeting was especially suffocating. So many of the statistics – possession share, shots, Expected Goals, Big Chances created – illustrated this.The biggest difference between the two sides, however, was in central midfield where João Neves never stopped. He was everywhere, applying pressure whenever Liverpool had the ball and moving it forward in possession phases for the defending European champions. Liverpool couldn’t get a grip of him.Neves heat map vs. Liverpool, first legOf course, Neves has been a key figure for PSG ever since he joined them from Benfica in the 2024 summer transfer window. Signed for a reported €60m, the youngster had his pick of Europe’s biggest clubs, but decided Luis Enrique’s style of play would be a good fit. So it has proved over the last two seasons.That €60m paid by PSG now represents a bargain. At just 21 years old, Neves is already one of the most accomplished midfielders anywhere in the world. He has the natural rhythm in possession of Xavi and the inherent creativity of Andres Iniesta with the tempo and intensity required for the modern game. And yet Neves went somewhat underappreciated last season. Even as PSG won the Champions League for the first time, Vitinha was widely highlighted as their most influential player in the centre of the field. Some even pushed him forward as a candidate for the Ballon d’Or such was his level in the big matches.Vitinha remains a critical cog of the PSG machine, having more touches of the ball than any other player on the pitch against Liverpool last week. He also registered the most passes into the final third and more than played his part in pushing the Premier League outfit deep into their own half for the majority of the match.Neves, however, was the one collecting possession from deep and moving it forward whenever PSG needed some thrust on the ball. He was the pass before the pass, except when he provided the assist for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s goal to make it 2-0 to the French hosts. Neves took on the role of creator-in-chief for that moment.Neves’ player traits compared with midfielders in Top 5 leaguesThe reason PSG’s Champions League triumph last season was so ominous for the rest of European football was the age profile of their team. This is a group of players only just getting started at the elite level and nobody embodies this better than Neves who continues to get better and better.“We did great last year with the players we signed, and João was one of them,” said Enrique when asked about Neves. “He is very young, but we didn’t have any doubts about him because of his intensity and quality on and off the ball. I think he can improve a lot of things. One of them is scoring goals. He has the energy to play at a high level. He is an amazing player and we’re very happy to have him.”Even as PSG struggled to find their best form earlier this season, there was always a sense that they would eventually put up a strong defence of their Champions League crown. The return of Ousmane Dembélé from injury was the catalyst the defending champions had been waiting for. With Dembélé back in the attack, PSG found coherence again.PSG have more possession of the ball than anyone else in the UCLOf course, PSG know how to win at Anfield having already done it last season. It was an away victory over Liverpool that truly announced Enrique’s team as Champions League contenders 12 months ago, sending the French outfit on a path that culminated in a 5-0 thumping of Inter Milan in the final.Since then, PSG have swapped goalkeepers following the departure of Gianluigi Donnarumma to Manchester City and evolved their central defensive unit through the signing of Ilya Zabarnyi from Bournemouth. Otherwise, it’s the same core of players that became European champions in Munich.Enrique and his coaching staff are always searching for new ways to utilise those players – see how Nuno Mendes was flinging quick throws into the centre of the pitch for PSG to move forward quickly in transition against Liverpool. The French champions might be the most imaginative side in world football right now.Neves is at the heart of that invention. He is a ball-progressing machine for the most intense team with the clearest idea of how they want to play left in this season’s Champions League. If PSG are to become European champions again, it’ll be in no small part due to the midfielder’s brilliance.(Images from IMAGO)You can follow every Champions League game on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.Paris Saint-Germain are well-placed to retain their Champions League crown with João Neves driving the French giants to more success.By Graham RuthvenLiverpool have been made to look lifeless more than a few times this season, but Paris Saint-Germain’s performance in last week’s Champions League meeting was especially suffocating. So many of the statistics – possession share, shots, Expected Goals, Big Chances created – illustrated this.The biggest difference between the two sides, however, was in central midfield where João Neves never stopped. He was everywhere, applying pressure whenever Liverpool had the ball and moving it forward in possession phases for the defending European champions. Liverpool couldn’t get a grip of him.Neves heat map vs. Liverpool, first legOf course, Neves has been a key figure for PSG ever since he joined them from Benfica in the 2024 summer transfer window. Signed for a reported €60m, the youngster had his pick of Europe’s biggest clubs, but decided Luis Enrique’s style of play would be a good fit. So it has proved over the last two seasons.That €60m paid by PSG now represents a bargain. At just 21 years old, Neves is already one of the most accomplished midfielders anywhere in the world. He has the natural rhythm in possession of Xavi and the inherent creativity of Andres Iniesta with the tempo and intensity required for the modern game. And yet Neves went somewhat underappreciated last season. Even as PSG won the Champions League for the first time, Vitinha was widely highlighted as their most influential player in the centre of the field. Some even pushed him forward as a candidate for the Ballon d’Or such was his level in the big matches.Vitinha remains a critical cog of the PSG machine, having more touches of the ball than any other player on the pitch against Liverpool last week. He also registered the most passes into the final third and more than played his part in pushing the Premier League outfit deep into their own half for the majority of the match.Neves, however, was the one collecting possession from deep and moving it forward whenever PSG needed some thrust on the ball. He was the pass before the pass, except when he provided the assist for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s goal to make it 2-0 to the French hosts. Neves took on the role of creator-in-chief for that moment.Neves’ player traits compared with midfielders in Top 5 leaguesThe reason PSG’s Champions League triumph last season was so ominous for the rest of European football was the age profile of their team. This is a group of players only just getting started at the elite level and nobody embodies this better than Neves who continues to get better and better.“We did great last year with the players we signed, and João was one of them,” said Enrique when asked about Neves. “He is very young, but we didn’t have any doubts about him because of his intensity and quality on and off the ball. I think he can improve a lot of things. One of them is scoring goals. He has the energy to play at a high level. He is an amazing player and we’re very happy to have him.”Even as PSG struggled to find their best form earlier this season, there was always a sense that they would eventually put up a strong defence of their Champions League crown. The return of Ousmane Dembélé from injury was the catalyst the defending champions had been waiting for. With Dembélé back in the attack, PSG found coherence again.PSG have more possession of the ball than anyone else in the UCLOf course, PSG know how to win at Anfield having already done it last season. It was an away victory over Liverpool that truly announced Enrique’s team as Champions League contenders 12 months ago, sending the French outfit on a path that culminated in a 5-0 thumping of Inter Milan in the final.Since then, PSG have swapped goalkeepers following the departure of Gianluigi Donnarumma to Manchester City and evolved their central defensive unit through the signing of Ilya Zabarnyi from Bournemouth. Otherwise, it’s the same core of players that became European champions in Munich.Enrique and his coaching staff are always searching for new ways to utilise those players – see how Nuno Mendes was flinging quick throws into the centre of the pitch for PSG to move forward quickly in transition against Liverpool. The French champions might be the most imaginative side in world football right now.Neves is at the heart of that invention. He is a ball-progressing machine for the most intense team with the clearest idea of how they want to play left in this season’s Champions League. If PSG are to become European champions again, it’ll be in no small part due to the midfielder’s brilliance.(Images from IMAGO)You can follow every Champions League game on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.