Neymar / Messi, new start, Angel Di Maria … The German coach takes stock before PSG’s trip to Montpellier on Saturday, between two Champions League matches.
Marquinhos : “In defense or in the middle? I do what is necessary for the team. In this period, one can only adapt to the moment. And at the moment, it is necessary for him to play in defense to give stability and experience to the whole team. But nothing has changed. He was very strong (against Manchester), a key player for us defensively and offensively. He can occupy both positions. (…) It’s very easy because he is very humble, very pleasant, very open in his speech, very honest. He’s very emotional, like me, and we’re very honest with each other. It’s always nice to talk to him and to be his trainer, it’s a gift. He has everything, really everything to be one of the best players in the world, as a defender and in the middle. He is not going to speak in the same way as Thiago Silva. He’s a little quieter guy, but he’s a straightforward guy, a leader by example. It’s the best thing. ”
Interview with Marquinhos about his job
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Angel Di Maria on the bench against Manchester : “It was only a decision based on sporting criteria. We chose to play three in front and focus on players who are looking for depth. Angel’s strength is to go from the side and step in with his left foot. But that was not the plan. We wanted to look for depth and attack Manchester center-backs behind their backs. That’s why. We also favored the physical strength of Moise Kean. These are not Angel’s characteristics. And that’s the only thing. Otherwise, he had been strong in previous matches, decisive too. It was a very difficult choice because I like Angel a lot, I have a lot of confidence in him. I normally always let him play. (…) It’s an option, it’s clear, he can also play in number 8. He did it at Real Madrid, he was very good in this role and I was a big fan of him when he played at Real in this position. However, he hasn’t played in this position for a long time but it’s a possibility to try. ”
“We must start a new cycle, a new period”
Paris soon at the top physically : “We must also accept that the context of the matches in Leipzig and Manchester is totally different from Monaco or Bordeaux. We have to accept it. (He recovers) We must see that it is like that. But we also have to accept that we have gained a little capacity. For example Neymar, who plays more and more. This is also true for Kylian. They both worked a lot. I was very happy with their efforts, especially their defensive efforts. And it was necessary. We also changed our discourse a bit with the team. It started last Sunday, it was a little stronger, a little more emotional to clearly establish that we have to start a new cycle, a new period and that we want to give everything to end this year successfully. We have the possibility with the last match in the Champions League (next Tuesday against Istanbul Basaksehir, note). That’s the big goal now. ”
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Neymar who wants to find Lionel Messi : “(Smile) I did not discuss this with him. I learned this five minutes ago! No, I can’t talk about that, I have a lot of respect for Barcelona and for Messi. I am a PSG coach, I cannot speak of that. ”
The famine of Kylian Mbappé : “Household in Montpellier? We have to decide today. But we also have to make decisions with Tuesday in mind. I want us to be able to push the team tomorrow (Saturday) and have no excuse because we would already be preparing for Tuesday’s game, or because we would be tired. For that, we could make some changes … For Kylian, I’m very calm. He had a good game against MU. A stronger match than others in which he scored. He was very strong in a decisive game, he had a big impact and did a lot of offensive and defensive sprints. He made a lot of effort. He’s always been dangerous with his dribbling, his speed. He had a bit of bad luck at the end, but it’s going to come if he continues like this. I am very happy with his performance. He didn’t score but it will come because he has the quality. The opportunities will come. We’re going to create opportunities for him. He can be calm because I am. ”
Kylian Mbappé’s first goal with Paris Saint-Germain
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Marco Verratti : “I think we will leave him at home to continue training. You can’t take too many risks with him now. I can’t ask him the question because he still wants to play (smile). But we saw against Manchester that it was necessary for him to come out, he had cramps. For that, we used it to the maximum. Now I think it’s time to leave him at home and at Camp des Loges to work, build capacity and be a key player for us on Tuesday. ”
“I’ll be very honest: we are between two super important matches for us, MU and Basaksehir”
The rivalry with Montpellier : “I’ll be very honest: we are between two super important matches for us, for the club and for the team, with Manchester and Basaksehir. So I don’t know if we feel the same rivalry as Montpellier. Maybe it’s an advantage that we aren’t too upset. I don’t want to see too much conflict on the pitch, I don’t like it. I want us to play, to be calm and give everything, to keep working and to play the same way as in Manchester. We cannot waste our energy with emotions against our opponent. We have respect for Montpellier because it’s always a very emotional, very physical, very tough team, with a lot of crosses, there are a lot of things to defend. We must be really strong. We are going to prepare for this because we have a lot of respect and I do not want us to think too much about the discussions or the duels in the field. ”
Abdou Diallo on the left against MU : “It was necessary because we needed him on the offensive kicks and for his defensive coverage, his speed and his quality in the duels. He is stronger than Mitch (Bakker) and Layvin (Kurzawa) in this register. Honestly, I prefer Abdou as a central defender or maybe left axial when we play three behind. But in a match like that, where it’s necessary to be strong, to have another strong guy in the duels, it’s a possibility and he did very well. ”
Interview at a press conference
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