A few hours before kick-off, the poster between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup crystallizes all expectations. This meeting is part of a context loaded with recent stories. During the championship phase of the last Champions League, PSG bowed to this same Bayern, already led by Vincent Kompany. Since then, Paris has operated a remarkable moult under the direction of Luis Enrique: a lighter style of play, a more united collective, and a renewed ambition which has been punctuated by a historic quadrupled.
Progress that Vincent Kompany did not fail to emphasize at a press conference, welcoming the rise of a transformed opponent. For the two clubs, this quarter -final represents much more than a simple visit to the competition. It is a life -size test between two major European institutions and two coaches carrying strong ideas with Luis Enrique as a teacher in front of a student, Vincent Kompany, admiring. The kick -off is approaching, and with him, all the uncertainties of a high intensity match. Between a PSG in full ascent and a Bayern in reconstruction under Kompany, this meeting could well draw the contours of the next Champions League.
PSG of Luis Enrique, a model to follow
At a press conference, Vincent Kompany did not chew his words on the meteoric explosion of the Parisian group in 6 months: “PSG is the current winner of the Champions League. He is a formidable opponent and he had great success recently. I expect it to be at its best level. It is a great challenge for us; I always like to play against the best opponents. That's why we're here. You know, most of the games, they should win them 5-0. But in one way or another, it ended in 1-1 where they lost, so it did not reflect the team of the team at all. They have a very young team, and the results did not reflect the domination they had in every match at all. It's just interesting to look at the last six months and see how things can change. Our morale is good, almost all players are in good shape and 100 %. It is always very important in an important match. We are motivated, and we play against a team that won everything last season. This can only increase our motivation».
The Belgian coach did not hide being completely under the spell of this PSG: “It is a fantastic challenge for us. They won the French Cup, the Championship and the Champions League. We have the opportunity to beat them tomorrow (tonight, editor's note). Playing against such a team is simply great. If we qualify, we will have another opponent against whom we can ask ourselves again. This is part of a club World Cup. If I were neutral, I would watch the match. PSG has experienced superb progression, it is impressive. It's a complete team. We have to work together, in attack as in defense, as always. Tactics can always change, but in such important matches, everything is a question of principles. We won the last match against PSG, but it was a tight match. We want to win, that's all that matters». As the kick-off approaches, a certainty: the show should be there.
He continued by focusing on the progress and development in the process of his group: “We are going through a very good period. Almost all of our players are in good shape and 100 %. It is always very important in such an important match. We are motivated, and we face a team that won everything last season. This can only strengthen our motivation. The progress of PSG is exciting to follow. After our victory against them in November 2024, it was not an easy period for the coach at the time, I remembered. After the press conference, I passed the coach and listened to difficult criticism. They remained calm and disciplined, and that borne fruit. We are now talking about a match against Paris, but from a completely different angle. It's interesting to see what has happened in the past six months». This is a shock that promises to be a trainer for the two training courses.
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