Mauricio Pochettino: 'Get back into the swing of things'
On the eve of the Ligue 1 matchday 23 game against Lille, this Sunday 6 February at 20:45 at the Stade Pierre Mauroy in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, the Paris Saint-Germain manager spoke to PSG TV and the media. Here's what he had to say.
PRePARATION
"We are moving forward step by step, match by match. Of course we are disappointed with the last result and with the elimination from the Coupe de France on penalties against Nice. It's a lottery. We lost and we have to accept it. We want to get back into the swing of things. So playing a good team like Lille is a positive thing. With one match a week since the beginning of the year, we had the opportunity to work, unlike in previous seasons. We tried to be as efficient as possible and to give the team the capacity to be physically fit. We will arrive in good conditions for the match against Real Madrid, but we have to focus on the match against Lille."
LILLE
"I think it will be a difficult match. All the teams that play against Paris Saint-Germain are very motivated. So it will be complicated, we will have to find the right balance between defending well, playing and being effective. That will be the key. It will be important because there are three points at stake, and we want to keep our lead over our rivals. We have to move forward, we have several objectives ahead of us that require a lot of energy."
fitness
"We did a good job of recovering. The South American internationals have come back in good condition. Many will be fit to start the match. Neymar Jr? His development is encouraging. Next week will be crucial to know his percentage of chance of being back with us against Real. The same goes for Sergio Ramos."