This Sunday, as part of Matchday 7 of Ligue 1 2025-2026, Paris Saint-Germain faced Lille at the Stade Pierre Mauroy. Bruno Genesio, Lille’s coach, spoke at a press conference after the 1-1 draw. He expressed regret and explained his defensive decision.
Genesio: “I like to see my team more ambitious”
“I didn’t enjoy this match, with few chances. We were serious defensively in the first half, but we lacked technical quality. The second half was tight, and we came back with players coming off the bench.
That’s a positive, as is the personality shown to come back from the deadlock. I’m disappointed with the way the match played, even if we got a result at the end. I like to see my team more ambitious, especially in the first half. There was a chance to do that.”
Genesio: “We chose to have three defensive midfielders because we were up against some very good players.”
Thursday’s match may have had an impact. We chose to have three defensive midfielders because we were up against some very good players, and we tried to disrupt the relationship between their defense and midfield as much as possible. Then, we mismanaged the spaces and lacked technical quality. We’re almost frustrated with this performance.”
It’s understandable that Lille is frustrated. A draw against PSG isn’t a bad result, except that the Parisian team was decimated, missing six key players (all of whom started in the Champions League final: Marquinhos, Fabian Ruiz, João Neves, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembélé, and Désiré Doué). There was a feeling that this was the moment to take points.
Although we have to respect the entire PSG squad, because the understudies and the youngsters displayed certain qualities, it’s still not the same adversity. And Lille could perhaps have taken advantage of it, but we saw some rather poorly managed situations. Perhaps Lille were a little “timid.”
Genesio may regret it, except that he was also the one who chose a defensive approach. It’s hard to blame the players for being “less ambitious.” There was a bit of a surprise against the Parisian team, according to the Lille players. But everyone knew it wouldn’t be the best possible eleven, and the rotation wasn’t shocking either. And, in any case, a defensive approach conditions the players. It’s a shame; we like to see more ambition. Especially what PSG seemed to be encouraging.
