We had to wait until the 94th minute to see the Parc des Princes exult. This Saturday, facing an OGC Nice team that was “heroic in defense” and came to lock down the match, Paris Saint-Germain struggled for a long time before finding the fault on the gong through Gonçalo Ramos (1-0). A difficult victory, lacking inspiration, but essential before the shocks against Bayern Munich and Lyon. If the Portuguese striker took on the costume of the savior, Luis Enrique took advantage of his press conference to deliver a different analysis and designate the real architects of this success: the supporters.
Luis Enrique’s vibrant tribute to the public at the Park
Lucid, the Parisian coach admitted that everything had not been perfect, far from it. “ The first 30 minutes were not good,” he conceded on BeIN Sports. But he immediately pointed out what, according to him, turned the meeting upside down: the atmosphere. “ When you see your supporters who still have this mentality, who sing even in the 94th minute, we have to fight like we did. » For Luis Enrique, the connection between the public and the team was the key to never giving up and snatching these three points. “In the end, I think we did everything that was important to win the match,” he concluded, praising the impact of his starters but reserving his most glowing praise for the 12th man.
Ramos: “Magnificent… but more difficult than in C1! »
The hero of the evening, Gonçalo Ramos, obviously relished this outcome. “ It’s a last minute goal, it’s magnificent,” he smiled in the mixed zone. But he also delivered a very interesting tactical analysis which matches that of his coach on the difficulty of the match. The striker pointed out the major difference between the competitions: “ In the Champions League, the teams play eye to eye with us. In the league, they defend. It’s more difficult. » A clear explanation for the long sterile performance of PSG against the Nice bloc.
Zabarnyi: “We played until the end”
The victory came down to mentality, and the defense had to remain solid so as not to be surprised. Defender Illya Zabarnyi confirmed the difficulty of the evening: “ It was a difficult match. But we managed to score, this victory is very important. » He especially insisted on the mentality of the group, which echoes Luis Enrique’s request to “fight”: “ We played until the end. We tried, we did our best. » A collective perseverance which ended up paying off.
Bayern in their sights, with the confidence of the locker room
This painful victory is the best way to prepare for the crucial reception of Bayern Munich in the Champions League next Tuesday. PSG proved that it had strong nerves and that it could count on a decisive bench, as Enrique pointed out (“The entry of Ousmane and Gonçalo was important”). The locker room already seems to be focused on Europe, as Zabarnyi confirmed: “The team is ready.
You can feel it in the locker room, in training. We are confident.“
