Who better than the captain of a club to speak before one of the most important matches in its history. Brazilian defender Marquinhos was chosen by the capital club to appear before the media before Luis Enrique this Monday, on the eve of welcoming Borussia Dortmund to the Parc des Princes in the semi-final second leg of the Champions League. Luis Enrique’s players must overthrow the Ruhr club after losing in the first round at Signal Iduna Park (1-0).
“Every season, every match has its story. We can bring all our experience. It’s important to have players who have experienced key moments. Our coach knows how to prepare these key matches very well. A Champions League semi-final is not every year. We like to play them. You have to motivate yourself with good energy,” reassured the man who had notably been at the origin of a saving return on Julian Brandt to prevent the second German goal at the end of the match.
“The coach insists a lot, tells us that a match is 90 minutes, but tomorrow it could be 120. You have to be emotionally ready. He gives confidence to the team. In Barcelona, we were in the match. We scored a goal but we continued with the same energy, the same commitment. The preparation during the season, the speech from the coach, from the executives, that helps. The club is growing, this whole environment helps. »
“We don’t know what will happen during the match. Confidence comes from work, from the serenity worked throughout the season. It’s not just a question of results, but rather of preparation. Dortmund are a great opponent, it will be a very tough match. But it is not now that we are going to change everything, to be desperate,” Marquinhos reassured himself to the journalists. Often criticized for his performances in major European events, the Brazilian defender seems in great shape during this exercise and overmotivated at the idea of lifting his first big-eared cup.
“Importance of playing at home”
“I think we know the importance of playing at home, with our supporters. That’s why we have a lot of confidence. They can change the match, with their songs, their energy, underlined the PSG captain about the public at the Parc des Princes. Tomorrow, a lot of people will be behind us to push us. »
“The coach likes to mix experience and youth. He asks a lot, it’s true with the players. They trust him. There is this tranquility, we know what we have to do on the pitch. Tomorrow, we don’t know who will be on the field, Lucas Hernandez is injured. Others will come in and do the job very well,” Marquinhos added. The Brazilian international also maintained that the culture of the collective and the club was the most important thing in this type of meeting.
For his third C1 semi-final since his arrival, the former Rome player does not want to think about the stigma of the past: “It’s very difficult to make comparisons between seasons. This year, we have a great experience. We know how it went in 2020, it remained engraved. We are living in a different moment, it’s a home match, there are supporters, it’s very different.”
If Paris manages to dismiss Dortmund, it will face the winner of the double confrontation between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in the final at Wembley on June 1. The second round will be played this Wednesday evening in the Spanish capital after the 2-2 draw in Bavaria.
