Having reached the semi-finals of the Champions League for the second year running, Paris Saint-Germain’s dreams are getting closer. Speaking on RMC‘s Rothen S’enflamme program, Nuno Mendes, the 22-year-old Parisian full-back, reflected on the European campaign, and in particular the 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa that could have cost Luis Enrique’s men qualification.
Enrique “we know it’s going to be difficult in the two games against Arsenal”
How did you feel about the two games against Aston Villa?
“We were fine in both games. We were above Aston Villa, we tried to play our game here at home, we won 3-1. We know we can’t make any mistakes because this is the Champions League. If we make mistakes, we can lose games and be eliminated.
In the second leg, we found ourselves 2-0 up and we slackened off a bit, but I think that’s a good indication of things to come, because we know it’s going to be tough in the two games against Arsenal, so we’ve got to be focused right from the start. That’s what we’re going to try to do throughout the match.”
Mendes “We’re on the right path to winning big things”
PSG are the only team in the last four of the Champions League to make it two semi-finals in a row. What has changed since last year?
“I think this year we’re much stronger than last year. That was the coach’s first year. He tried to do the best he could to get all the players on the pitch.
This year, we made the right choices, even the coach and the sporting director, they recruited well. We’ve got players who do everything for the team, who help out in defence, who attack well. We play as a team. That’s how we’re going to get far. We’re on the right path to winning big things, that’s our goal.”
The arrival of Luis Enrique in the summer of 2023 has enabled the Parisians to turn a huge corner, both in the league and on the European stage. And it’s no coincidence that the Parisians are once again through to the semi-finals. Many predicted a weaker PSG following Kylian Mbappé’s departure for Real Madrid, but the exact opposite has happened.
Nevertheless, defeat by Aston Villa in the previous round was a wake-up call for the Parisians. Having been on a high for several weeks, they now realize that nothing is certain and that everything could change at any moment.
Let’s hope this will enable the team to take the double-header against Arsenal even more seriously, and reach the final of the competition.
