Two out of three. Christophe Galtier will have won two of his three clasicos of the season, both in the league. Only the one in the Coupe de France, in the round of 16 on February 8, escapes him (1-2), an evening when Kylian Mbappé was forfeited. This Sunday, he was present on the Canebière and he scored twice on service from Leo Messi, joining Edinson Cavani as the club’s all-time top scorer in all competitions. After this triumph, the Parisian coach came to deliver his analysis of the meeting, which saw Presnel Kimpembe leave his team early. His season is over according to the technician.
Mbappé scored his 200th goal. Is he the best player in the world?
CHRISTOPHER GALTIER. He has just equaled a beautiful record, that of Edinson Cavani for whom we have a thought. We know that Kylian will beat her. He is surely the best striker in the world. He goes fast, and he does everything fast. He knows how to be present in the big meetings, it is also the sign of the great players.
Is it a successful collective performance?
Yes, we had a really good game. I went back to an organization that had worked for us the first four months and I also chose it in relation to the Coupe de France match that we had lost (2-1, February 8). They knew how to use the ball, harass when necessary. It’s an important victory which should cheer up our players and our supporters, who were omnipresent against Lille and all week with us, especially at the Parc on Friday, even if they couldn’t make the shift. We dedicate this victory to them.
Do you want to keep this system with three defenders until the end of the season?
The first idea was to go back to three with Presnel Kimpembe, who unfortunately got injured. It was important to have a southpaw in my three defenders. Danilo was very good but I put him on the right and Marquinhos on the other side. Pistons must also be available. Nordi Mukiele had not played for six weeks and we knew he was going to have to get his bearings. Nuno Mendes is a modern piston. We built the squad at the start of the season for this system. The absence of Neymar forced us to densify the midfield. You also need midfielders who project themselves and Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz have done that, freeing up spaces for Leo Messi and Kylian Mbappé. We will see if we stay in this system, but when we win 3-0 in Marseille, we are not going to invent things for the future.
Does Kimpembe’s injury make you regret the winter transfer window?
For the transfer window, there are no regrets. We are going to end the season like this, without Presnel. But it’s not just the defenders to set up a 3-5-2. You also need the pistons, there is the absence of Neymar too. The midfielders had to project themselves to free Marco Verratti when the ball came out. They have also been successful in this area.
Is this victory at the dolphin a turning point of the season?
It’s an important moment, especially with the results of the day, the defeat of Monaco and the draw of Lens. Eight points ahead (over OM), it’s not negligible. It is better to have them than not to have them! (laughs)
This rediscovered grinta, is it a reaction of pride?
It must not be a reaction of pride. You have to get used to being present in the duels, to have determination. At a very high level, you have to hurry, make a lot of effort, win duels. My players have put in a lot of effort and performed well in all of these areas. Is it a reaction of pride or of champions? The elimination here in the Coupe de France was difficult. We couldn’t catch up but strike a blow. They behaved like champions.