To reverse the score against Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain must “play a lot more than what we did in the first leg”, said coach Christophe Galtier on Tuesday before the 1/8 final return of the League of champions.
What does it take to qualify against Bayern?
We will have to play a lot more than what we did in the first leg (1-0 for Bayern), with a different game plan. The presence of Kylian (Mbappé) allows us to have more depth and percussion, but it will be necessary to be higher on the ground and above all to recover the ball higher in the opposing camp. It will be necessary to have a much more aggressive behavior, to play a more complete match than to go.
Is your team better, more balanced without Neymar, injured and out for three to four months?
I hear and read the debates. First of all I am very unhappy, and the first unfortunate is him, but he is a decisive player, Neymar has 17 goals and 11 assists this season. He is seriously injured, he has always been very professional since I have been at the club, he had a very difficult post-World Cup period. So is the team more balanced, yes, by the profiles of our midfielders. Is it better like this? No, having Ney is a plus.
Is the PSG season played tomorrow?
No, personally I don’t feel that way. At PSG all matches are important, it’s a very difficult competition, tomorrow there will be a winner and a loser, and we all want PSG to win, but that’s how it is. The Champions League is a very high goal, we have the determination to go as far as possible. We will be in a magnificent stadium, full, but I dare to hope that we will cool this atmosphere