Minus Joao Neves, Portugal's midfield IQ raised by Vitinha 

After a year in which PSG conquered Europe and Portugal’s midfield became their blueprint, Vitinha stands at the heart of both success stories — the metronome driving club and country forward as Ireland prepare to face his masterclass in Lisbon.

Portugal's midfield linchpin Vitinha. Pic: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

This has been a historic year for PSG. Their 5-0 win over Inter back in May saw the Parisian powerhouse claim their first ever major European championship as they dismantled the Italian giants with ease. Unsurprisingly, Ousmane Dembele won the Ballon d’Or, while Luis Enrique was named Men’s Coach of the Year last month. That both claimed their respective awards on the night they lost Le Classique to fierce rivals Marseille won’t have put a dampener on the evening’s events.

You’d be hard pressed to find any who would argue that PSG have been head and shoulders above the rest at club level over the past 12 months. However, while Dembele was a worthy recipient of football’s highest individual honour, Lamine Yamal’s father aside, PSG’s success won’t have been made possible were it not for the exploits of those in support of their rampant frontline.