Thiago Silva: 'We all have the same objective'

Thiago, what are your thoughts on the match in Dortmund?
"We knew the match was going to be tough. Dortmund are third in the Bundesliga, have played some great football since the start of the season, have great players and have a lot of quality and confidence. I think we did an OK game, but we weren't at our best level, we're aware of that. At that level, it's the small details that make the difference. We have to stay calm, keep a cool head. We've played the first half, and now there is a second to play at home."

You must be looking forward to playing the second leg at the Parc des Princes...
"I'm convinced we're going to play really well. We have to respond on the pitch. If we have to die on the pitch, we'll do that. The last two years have shown us that anything is possible at this level. It doesn't worry me that people are saying we're already out. It's actually something that gives us even more determination to turn the situation round. And we know that we're having a very good season: we're leading the league, in the Coupe de la Ligue final, the Coupe de France semis, and still in the hunt for a Champions League quarter-final place. We're coming to a key point in the season. The supporters are always behind us, because their hearts are Rouge-et-Bleu. Ours too. We'll need their support for the second leg."

What's the squad's spirit like right now?
"Lots of people talking about Paris Saint-Germain, but we know what we have to do. We're a very motivated squad and very united. What I like here is the mix of cultures in the team. We all have different origins, we have different ways of approaching games, but when we go on the pitch, we all have the same objective, which is to make Paris Saint-Germain win.

People talk a lot about tactical systems. How do the players deal with that?
"We're suited to any system. We have won a lot of games in several different systems. The coach makes his choices in the interest of the team, but he's not on the pitch at kick-off. It's up to us the players to do everything to get the best result possible, it's up to us to give our all on the pitch."

Bordeaux are coming to the Parc on Sunday. What kind of game do you expect?
"It's important for us to be able to play again quickly, and we're very motivated, we want to get back to winning ways. We'll have to be at our best. Bordeaux are having a good season, the first game this season was difficult, we won 1-0 thanks to a Neymar goal. They're going to come to Paris to get a result. We expect them to be well organised defensively, and they'll want to exploit counter-attacking opportunities. We're coming off a draw at Amiens in the league. We want to win again, in front of our fans."

Tanguy Kouassi has come to the fore in recent weeks. We imagine you are following him closely...
"I keep a special eye on Tanguy because he plays in the same position as me. Thiago Motta had talked to me about him, and so I try to talk to him as much as possible, to teach him a lot of things...when I see what he does on the pitch and in training, at just 17, I'm blown away. He's calm, very very calm. It's surprising. He has huge potential, and he's going to improve even more."