The coach of the capital club was confident on Tuesday, on the eve of the knockout stages of the Champions League, in Munich.
The hour is crucial for Paris Saint-Germain. The capital club are in Munich to try to overthrow Bayern Munich in the knockout stages of the Champions League on Wednesday March 8, after their 1-0 defeat in the first leg. Like his team, on the right track for three weeks, Christophe Galtier did not seem at all paralyzed by the issue at a press conference. The coach gave several reasons to believe in qualifying.
Galtier hopes for a “bold” PSG
After a first leg match spent limiting damage for more than an hour of play, without ever succeeding in bringing danger, Christophe Galtier warned that his team would not wear the same face on Wednesday. To make up the lost goal and overthrow Bayern, his plan is as follows: “Playing, playing a lot more than we were able to produce in the first leg, with another game plan and [en profitant de] the presence of Kylian Mbappé to have more depth and percussion. Having more of the ball and being higher up the field. If possible, recover the ball much earlier in the Munich camp”.
For this very good PSG in rapid transition, as during its reference victory in Marseille on February 26 (3-0), it is one more step to take. In pursuit, the capital club will have to try and take risks. “We will have to be both very vigilant and very daring in our way of attacking”, summarized Galtier. An achievable goal if we are to believe Marco Verratti, who accompanied his coach to the media on Tuesday: “We know what to do and what not to do. We are going to play a big game which will be different from the first leg.”
The shooters already identified in the event of a penalty shootout
After Rennes and Monaco were eliminated on penalties in the Europa League, PSG will have to avoid such a fate. For Christophe Galtier, completely contrary to the words of his Rennes counterpart Bruno Génésio, this kind of exercise is not a lottery. This is why he has already drawn up a “clear strategy on the order of shooters”in the event of a victory by a goal difference and an unsuccessful extension. “The best shooters have to shoot as fast as possible. Sometimes they are fourth or fifth and don’t have time to do it”.
However, there was no specific work on the part of the outfield players: “Training is one thing. After 120 minutes of play and in front of an audience that is behind his team, at home, the environment is totally different. There is a whole psychological aspect [en plus]”. His goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, has done some work in this direction with the goalkeeping coach. Since he has been in Paris, he has seen six of the eight penalties he has suffered being converted by the opposing shooter.
Optimism around Hakimi, Marquinhos and Mukiele
“North [Mukiele] feel better. We stepped on his tendon, he was a little open. He is better, like Achraf Hakimi. I will make my decision after the session. Regarding Marquinhos, we will also take stock tonight. It looks to me like all three will be competitive for tomorrow.” Christophe Galtier was reassuring about his three uncertain players. If all three are operational, Marquinhos and Hakimi will start. The only two major absentees from the group are Neymar and Presnel Kimpembe, both injured until the end of the season.