Mauricio Pochettino: 'A good attitude'

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The Paris Saint-Germain coach says the spirit in his squad is positive ahead of Saturday's league trip to Nice.

NICE

"We'll have to be clinical in front of goal. We'll have to find the best way to score and create chances for ourselves. We'll have to be solid and have a good balance in the team. Nice are going to cause us problems, they're a demanding team, in a good league position, and have qualified for the Coupe de France final. They're very competitive and well organised. I don't think it's inconvenient to play them before taking on Real, it could be beneficial. Being competitive at that level against Nice will help us  prepare the Champions League game against Real. It'll enable us to up our focus and level. Our progress can perhaps best be seen in the second half of the season and the win against Real was proof of that. We have to keep improving. I think we're in a good situation, the atmosphere is calm, and the attitude is good in training. We have the satisfaction of having a very good atmosphere. I'm happy with the progress and the work."

REAL MADRID

"We have to be focussed on the match against Nice and find the right tactics to win. For the second leg, there will be players missing in Madrid. As for us, we'll see after Saturday's game which players are available. We'll see which is the best team to play Real after the Nice match. We have to be competitive and focussed on Saturday's game, out of respect for the competition and for Nice. The best means of preparing big Champions League matches is to be focussed all the time."

 

HOME & AWAy

"It can happen during a season. It happens to every big club - and not only to Paris - to play less well away from home. There's no single factor that determines that. We try to play each game in the same way, whether it's home or away. We analyse the way in which we play, looking to dominate, if there is pressure, or a difficult atmosphere in terms of the opponent. There's not a single factor that affects performances whether we play home or away. We also have to acknowledge the contribution of our fans, who generate an atmosphere and give energy, that has an impact, not only on our players but also it negatively affects the opposition."

 

KYLIAN MBAPPÉ SUSPENDED

"We're talking about one of the best players in the world. The psychological aspect is important for his teammates and the opponent. But we know it can happen during a season. The important thing is that the squad believes in its collective strength. We have to develop the idea that the squad isn't strong thanks to individual performances, but rather thanks to its collective strength, which is something we have to cultivate despite having players missing."