Another defeat! The third in a row, in three different competitions. This time, it is the most spectacular since it intervenes in the Champions League, the great dream of PSG, against Bayern Munich (0-1). The entry of Kylian Mbappé (57th) energized the team but proved insufficient despite an equalizer canceled for an offside. Christophe Galtier, the Parisian coach, was at a press conference in the auditorium of the Parc des Princes after the match.
How do you analyze this defeat?
We have a difficult hour of play against a team that deprived us of balls. She came to hurry us, we expected it since we didn’t have much depth and verticality. We had a very difficult hour of play, we could have had more animation on the sides with our side but Achraf Hakimi was quickly touched. Afterwards, there is a story of timing. We take a goal while we are making our changes. We have 25 or 30 interesting minutes with speed and connection between everyone, the contribution of Kylian, the relays with Neymar and Messi, the participation of Nuno Mendes, Marquinhos gritted his teeth to hold on when he was also a little touched. It doesn’t matter much on the offside equalizer. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough.
If you had to do it over again, would you have started with the team that finished the match?
It’s normally our game. We play like that with people inside and verticality. The workforce is very weak, between those who are not there or who play tired like Hakimi or Marquinhos. If everyone had been available, we would have had another face and another animation.
“This (low) volume of races is nothing new”
Do the last twenty minutes give hope? Do you have any downtime for Achraf Hakimi?
Regarding Ashraf, we cannot measure his absence. We managed his return as well as possible after a very tough World Cup. He could not start in Monaco already. He had muscle discomfort very quickly. I don’t know if he has a lesion. Yes, there is hope. The return match is in three weeks. I hope that we will recover players. We will see. It is a double confrontation. Tonight, there is neither qualified nor eliminated. We had a discussion with my players after the match, I insisted on the possibility of qualifying. I hope to have a team rotation by then without penalizing it. There is already a very important game against Lille on Sunday. Winning at Bayern can lead to penalties or qualification.
As often, Paris ran less than Bayern. Is this an identified issue?
It’s identified. You can’t change player stats just like that. We have more profiles of players who ask for the ball at their feet. Not to mention them, Neymar and Messi. This means that you have to find depth and verticality with Kylian or Nuno Mendes. This volume of races is nothing new. These are the characteristics of the players of this season. Our record for the season, to give you an idea, was in Monaco (3-1 defeat).
What did you think of the communion between all the players and the public at the end?
Our supporters were very good throughout the game. There are still good deadlines, the season is still long. We must keep the hope of qualifying.