Kimpembe: 'My status has changed'

Presnel, how are you approaching the match against Olympique Lyonnais?
"We played well against them in the first meeting this season. They are a solid outfit. We know them well and they have quality players, even if they have lost to important elements to injury. They have brought players in and I don't think they are any weaker. We have a lot of respect for Lyon and they are one of the best teams in the league. We will have to be focused and disciplined throughout the 90 minutes."

Does your role as central defender change between playing 4-3-3 and 4-4-2? 
"We honestly don't think about it that much once we're on the pitch. For sure when we play 4-3-3 we have three midfielders and it's easier to find them with the ball… But the new formation is working well. Everyone knows what we have to do and we are moving forward. For the moment everything is going well. It's an attacking system because we have a lot of variety and options in attack with four great players. We create a huge number of scoring chances with this formation. But on the other hand, everyone has understood that they have to pull their weight in defence to find the right balance. We are not conceding many goals, but there's still a long way to go this season. We have a lot to achieve."

You were captain against Nantes. What does that represent for you?
"My stutus has changed and I'm very proud of being an important player here. But I have also kept my head on my shoulders. I have new responsabilities but I want to be captain of this side, even if I know the real captain is Thiago and then Marquinhos. It's always an honour to be captain of this team, especially for me, a Titi from the youth academy. It's a dream for every player in the academy to captain the team and it's happened a few times now so I'm honoured. I like to share my experiences with the youngsters in the academy. I know what they are going through cause I have been there. I take them under my wing a little. I try to help them as much as I can. That's why I was so happy for Tanguy when he scored his first goal against Reims, because I know how happy he felt. I jumped on him when he scored to share a special moment in his career. Even if it was he that scored, I was just as happy as he was. I often drop into the academy to say hello to the kids because now it's my turn to be an example for them. I give them advice. These traditions need to continue and we have to keep being an example for them."

The Champions League match against Dortmund is coming up...
The pressure is completely different in the Champions League. You can feel that the atmopshere is not the same, everyone is really focused. You can really feel the positive pressure and energy. The atmosphère in the stadium is special as well, the supporters are really up for it, it's really impressive. There's the Champions League music... it's at that moment that you realise just how lucky you are to be a part of it!