This Monday at 9:10 PM (CET), Paris Saint-Germain (2nd in Ligue 1) faces Paris FC (15th in Ligue 1) at the Parc des Princes in the Round of 32 of the 2025-2026 Coupe de France. In a press conference, Stéphane Gilli, coach of PFC, discussed this upcoming Parisian derby, eight days after their 2-1 defeat in Ligue 1 (Matchday 17). He highlighted areas to exploit and things to improve in order to “catch PSG’s attention.”
Gilli: “We know our opponent, how they play, and what they offer.”
“Is it an advantage to play PSG again just one week later?”
“Yes, we know our opponent, how they play, and what they offer, even if we don’t know which team will be fielded. It will be a strong team in any case.” Instead of making a video about the opponent, we were able to review what we did well and what we didn’t do so well this (Saturday) morning.
What are your takeaways from the narrow defeat in the league match?
What we did in the second half. In the first half, if we had been more clinical in three or four situations, we could have done better, and perhaps even secured a draw with a bit more luck. We struggled on two or three occasions, and on two or three others, we could have put them under pressure. We conceded one goal on a transition and the other on a counter-attack when we were in their penalty area and had a clear scoring opportunity.
Gilli: “They’re one of the most open teams.”
I can’t go into too much detail, but against their counter-pressing, we could have made better use of certain situations. They’re one of the most open teams; there’s space in behind their defense.
You played with five defenders in Ligue 1, can you repeat that formation on Monday?
Yes, it’s a possibility. We can play in different systems, but the five-man defense is conceivable. I chose it based on the players available. We didn’t have a right-back, and I wanted to put the players in the best possible positions. We’re going to try to play a bit more, to have more control. We hope to pull off an upset against PSG, but we’ll have to be more precise. I’m hopeful we can achieve something,” he said, as reported by L’Equipe.
Indeed, there’s less need to thoroughly analyze the opponent when facing them again so quickly. Even though everyone has a good idea of PSG’s playing philosophy anyway. There can be an analysis based on the available players, as everyone adapts as best they can.
Gilli had opted for a very defensive approach, which wasn’t far from earning a point. There will undoubtedly be similarities, even with the promise of a bit more attacking play. Which would be welcome. But it’s quite clear that the idea is to look for space after winning back possession.
It’s also understandable; playing possession against PSG is a formidable defensive side. Furthermore, rotation could see defenders less comfortable in this area (Ilya Zabarnyi and Lucas Beraldo rather than Marquinhos and Willian Pacho). We also can’t ignore the fact that PSG is currently struggling to maintain the effectiveness of its pressing throughout an entire match.
A physical issue, in particular. Perhaps the opponents are also working on areas they can exploit. This could have been part of PFC’s training since last Sunday. Of course, coach Luis Enrique, his staff, and his players are also working to get back in shape and improve even further.
