On Tuesday, Paris Saint-Germain returned to Champions League action against Sporting Lisbon and lost 2-1 in Matchday 7 of the group stage. Speaking to PSG TV, 31-year-old defender Marquinhos reflected on the defeat after the match.
Marquinhos: “We have enough experience to process this together.”
“A defeat inevitably causes frustration. We are competitors; we always want to win. It’s a difficult moment when we lose a match, but we have enough experience to process it together and think carefully about what we need to improve.
We have things to improve. Immediately after the match, we talk, we debrief, we discuss everything together. I think we have a fairly young team, but we are aware of how we won last year, and it’s to those standards that we need to return.” “It’s through hard work, communication, and the camaraderie we have in the locker room that we’ll get through moments like this.”
Marquinhos: “We have a coach who is demanding of us.”
“We still have everything to play for in this Champions League. We’re well-positioned, in the league we’re fighting for first place, and unfortunately, we were eliminated from the Coupe de France. But even in difficult times, we keep our heads straight and we know we still have everything to play for.
It’s in moments like these that we question ourselves to improve, and that’s how we’ll move forward. We have a coach who is demanding of us, and we are very demanding of ourselves too. We are competitors, we want to win, and we’ll move forward like that.”
A bitter defeat for the Parisians, who haven’t found success for several weeks now. Despite dominating possession, they created numerous chances but failed to extend their lead.
Sporting Lisbon, playing at home, had every reason to keep believing, and they were right to do so. Unfortunately, in football, things can change very quickly. And while PSG could easily have won, they ultimately found themselves trailing 2-1 and unable to equalize.
This defeat is a painful blow mentally, especially coming just days after their elimination from the Coupe de France. They will need to quickly regroup to prepare for their upcoming matches, particularly the crucial final game against Newcastle at the Parc des Princes, which is vital for qualification.
