Braga striker Vitinha could have been forgiven for looking around the dressing room at the end of Thursday’s 3-3 UEFA Europa League draw with Union Saint-Gilloise before pointing out, with some justification, that there was not much more he could have done.
The Portugal U21 international scored his first-ever European hat-trick against the Belgian side, after all – a perfect hat-trick at that – only to see Braga’s shoddy defence gift the Union three goals of their own at the other end.
If Braga’s backline had performed with the same dead-eyed ruthlessness as Vitinha did, then qualification to the knock-out stages would have been all-but secured with two group-stages fixtures remaining.
“We had a reaction but we didn’t win. Frustrating? Of course (it is),” Vitinha told SportTV at full-time. “We worked to win, we couldn’t and it’s always sad (when that happens). It’s difficult, but we will react.”
Southampton linked Vitinha now the Europa League’s top scorer
The positive news, as far as Braga are concerned, is that they can still rely upon the razor-sharp finishing skills of a man who, with three goals inside just 36 minutes against Union, overtook Cody Gakpo at the top of the Europa League scoring charts. That’s four already now.
According to Record, the 22-year-old poacher was a target for Premier League outfit Southampton over the summer.
And if he maintains his current rate of progress, the Saints will not be the only club sending their scouts to watch one of the most exciting young talent in Portugal do what he does best. Vitinha has seven goals in 13 games this season already. It’s not just the frequency of his finishes either, but the variety too that continues to catch the eye.
After opening the scoring with a left-footed shot last night, he then powered home a header before clipping home a sumptuous third with his right.
A perfect hat-trick. But far from a perfect result.
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