Presnel Kimpembe: 'Maintain maximum focus'

Presnel, how do you feel physically with all these games coming thick and fast?
"We're feeling a little tired, but that's normal. We're playing a lot of games and we don't hold back, against Bayern in the first leg especially. It was a really intense game against a great Bayern team, so we had to put in a lot of effort."

Did you expect the game to be so open?
"Yes, because both teams worked hard to produce a great game. And we knew there would be some gaps, especially in defence, and on the counter-attack. We were able to exploit those quickly in the game, which enabled us to score. It was a good game with chances for both sides."

The match started at a frantic pace with Choupo-Moting hitting the bar and Kylian scoring. How were those first few minutes for you?
"You saw the quality in both sides right there. Everything was so quick in both directions. It's the kind of match in which you have to maintain maximum focus. The way the match went, with our two goals, then they equalised...but I think we managed to handle it mentally."

How is the squad approaching the second leg?
"We've already seen that winning the first leg doesn't necessarily mean you qualify. We know it'll be tough on Tuesday, they'll want to make amends. We've managed to put ourselves in the best conditions psychologically to think about Tuesday's game calmly."

Which details will make the difference on Tuesday?
"We'll have to work together, all together, as we did in the first leg, and not say to ourselves that we can take things for granted. We are going to have to suffer together, and the most important thing will be the team and unity that we show on the pitch."