This Sunday, the women’s teams of Paris Saint-Germain (4th) and OL Lyonnes (1st) will face off at the Parc des Princes at 3pm CET during the 14th matchday of the Première Ligue Arkéma 2025-2026. A match discussed by the Parisian coach Paulo César with the press.
Paulo César: “This match, clearly, we can’t afford to lose.”
How do you prepare for a clash against a team as strong as OL Lyonnes?
We prepare for it like any other match. We have 12 teams in the league and 11 opponents who are very strong and very important. Even though Lyon is in first place, we prepare with the same level of commitment, in the same way. We try to use our strengths to see how we’ll approach this match on Sunday.
It’s a very important match that everyone is waiting for, especially considering the first result (a 1-6 defeat in the first leg). I think the girls are ready to rise to the occasion. This match, clearly, we can’t afford to lose, because it’s important for us, for what comes next.
What did you take away from the first leg? And what do you want to improve in this second leg?
In the first leg, we were tied 1-1 for 55 minutes. We controlled possession, we were almost evenly matched. After that, we lost our confidence and concentration after the second and third goals. We need to maintain our focus. At the highest level, it’s the details that count. I think the girls have improved a lot in that area so far.
Paulo César “We’re not going to hide because we lost 9 points.”
You have no more room for error after losing those nine points. Are you approaching this match thinking you have to make up those points?
From a sporting perspective, I’m not working with those lost points. Yes, that’s the reality. We can’t control it because what happened was an administrative matter. I think the club is doing everything necessary to fight and overturn that penalty. My players and I are focused on taking it one game at a time. We can’t do the math right now because it’s impossible.
If I don’t drop nine points, I’m only three points behind Lyon. I’m approaching this with a lot of composure because the players are delivering on the court. I think we definitely have the potential to get back to where we belong. The goal is to make the playoffs, and we’re not going to hide just because we dropped nine points.
Of course, facing Lyon, the league leaders, is a special challenge. Even if there’s a desire to downplay it a bit, probably to avoid pressure or fear. They’re a very good team, who quickly capitalized on a dip in form in the first leg to ultimately win comfortably. This time, PSG will need to put in a complete performance to have a real chance of taking at least one point.
That point could be crucial in the race for the top spots, as few clubs will be able to upset Lyon. Ideally, of course, we’d win. That must be the objective, even knowing it will be very difficult to achieve. But PSG has its strengths and held its own for almost an hour in the first leg. They need to show that the team has improved.
In any case, this group must be ready to fight in this very unusual season. There’s hope of recovering the 9 points lost administratively, though nothing is certain. That would be a huge boost, but Paris can’t afford to slip up in the meantime, especially in this crucial match.
