The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder spoke at the pre-match press conference on the eve of Matchday 4 of the UEFA Champions League group stage against Leipzig on Wednesday 3 November at 21:00 at the RB Arena. Extracts.
Settling in
“The style is different to the one that I knew at Liverpool. At Liverpool, we had played together for a long time, we rotate a lot here, and we play in lots of different positions in order to be effective in whatever situation. It’s a new team for lots of players, we need to get used to playing together and to get to know each other better. It’s what we are doing as the matches go by.”
The sYstem
“Systems don’t make too much of a difference for players, we do what is best for the team. It’s always better to be able to play in various different systems, it’s then a lot harder for the opposition to analyse us. I have played in lots of different systems in my career, and it’s always an added extra.”
LINk-Up
“What is most important for me is to get to know my teammates better and better. They are new for me, and we are working hard in training and in the matches to find that link-up. The coach wants us to be free, there are habits to pick up in order to have a squad that is complete.”
MESSI
“Any team with Messi is stronger. But as for all of us, he is starting a new chapter in his career. He needs to get used to the team, but we are stronger together. We are capable of doing great things together.”
MBAPPE
“He is exceptional. He has shown so much in such little time, both nationally and internationally. He is difficult to compare with other players that I have played with, when you see the quality at his age, he is strong and can become even stronger.”