Christophe Galtier was the last to speak on Tuesday evening in Munich. Before going to lead the last training session before the comeback clash against Bayern, the PSG coach expressed all his hopes for qualification at a press conference.
What is the recipe for qualifying?
CHRISTOPHER GALTIER. Play, play a lot more than what we did on the way out, having another game plan and with the presence of Kylian (Mbappé) to have more percussion and depth. And if possible recover the ball much earlier in the Munich camp.
Does Paris play its season on this match?
No I don’t have that feeling. All matches are important at PSG. Tomorrow, there will be a winner and a winner. We hope that the winner will be PSG. We play every game with the ambition to win. It will take a more aggressive, more conquering behavior than on the way out. If we are in this state of mind, we have the possibility of qualifying tomorrow evening.
What does Bayern Munich inspire in you?
It is a club that is used to being very often present in this competition. Great players came here, they replaced other great players. But the institution has always been above coaches and players. There is a large public who will create a great atmosphere but I hope that we will cool the atmosphere.
Do you share the idea that PSG can be as strong without Neymar?
I hear the debate around Ney. But we are talking about a player who has scored 17 goals and made 11 assists since the start of the season (note: actually 18 goals and 17 assists). When I read that it’s so much the better, no! It is a handicap for the team. He is a player who has always been very professional since I have been there. Is the team more balanced? Yes. But is it better like this? It’s better to have Ney to score goals.
Nagelsmann said the Paris defense had some flaws. Do you agree and have you spotted any weaknesses at Bayern?
All systems have flaws and strengths. In the last games, we conceded goals. It needs to be fixed. I talked about it with the players this morning. There are faults with us, but there are also faults with them. We will have to be both very vigilant and very daring in the way we are going to attack.
Have you worked on penalty shootouts?
Yes, because it is a possibility (note: that the match is played on penalties). I am convinced that this exercise is not a lottery. The players do not work on the gesture technically, because training is one thing, but the environment of a match after 120 minutes is another. Afterwards, I have a fairly clear strategy on the order of the shooters. Sometimes the last one doesn’t have time to shoot so the best shooters have to make the decision to shoot first.
How are Mukiele and Hakimi?
Nordi (Mukiele) is better. We stepped on his tendon, he will train normally, like Achraf Hakimi. I will make a decision at the end of training as for Maquinhos. All three are competitive.
Donnarumma alternated between good and bad. Do you think he is a reliable goalkeeper?
He is a reliable and very high level goalkeeper. The first goal against Nantes should never happen to you again. It is the experience. But he knew how to be decisive in important moments. I consider him to be a top goalkeeper.
Have you prepared more for this meeting than for other matches?
No, the sequence means that we are focused on each of the upcoming matches. Do I want to be there quickly? Yes because it is a privilege to direct these matches there.
Isn’t it a flaw to put the young Stanisic in Kylian Mbappé’s zone?
Stanisic is a very good player even if it is a name that does not carry in Europe. But when we prepare for a match against Bayern, we know that he is an important player in the system since he can play in the corridor as a third central defender. To tell you that we are preparing our match according to him would be a reductionist compared to the other Bayern Munich players.
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