“I’m extremely looking forward to playing this game.” Dayot Upamecano is already in it. In an interview published on his club’s website, the French defender spoke about the upcoming double confrontation against PSG. “For me, it will be a special match because it takes place in France,” said the native of Evreux. This is not the first time he will set foot on the Parisian lawn since he was part of a PSG – RB Leipzig in the Champions League group stage in November 2020. The match was played without a spectator because of the COVID, Upamecano will discover the atmosphere of the Parc des Princes tomorrow evening.
The draw for the 1/8th final matches having been made last November, the poster has been known for a long time. “We talked about it with Kylian (Mbappé) during the World Cup, says Upamecano. But now I focus on my team and Kylian is doing the same with PSG. “. Mbappé, who resumed collective training this morning, may meet his partner in the French team.
“PSG is a world-class team”
No doubt, however, about Lionel Messi. As he faced the Argentinian for the first time in his career in the final of the last World Cup, Upamecano declared that the seven-time Ballon d’Or was “an exceptional player, that he plays for the Argentina or for Paris” before tempering the attention paid to the former Barcelona player “but we must not only be ready for him: PSG is a world-class team with very fast attacking players in particular. »
Also questioned about the World Cup, the number 2 of Bayern returned to the course of the Blues as well as his personal feelings. “Although I was of course very disappointed that we finally missed out on the title by so little, the World Cup was for me, overall, a valuable experience on a personal level, which allowed me to make a lot of progress”. With the recent international retirement of Raphaël Varane, Upamecano is set to become the new leader of the defense of the Blues.
To progress in the command of his defense, the right-hander also explains that he called on an opera singer last summer. “As a central defender it is important to give orders, but before, I always had a sore throat after games. Today it is gone.” Attention to detail for him, a former stutterer, long marked by this handicap.