This Friday, as part of Matchday 25 of Ligue 1 2025-2026, Paris Saint-Germain faced AS Monaco at the Parc des Princes. Denis Zakaria, the 29-year-old Monaco midfielder, spoke to beIN SPORTS after Monaco’s 3-1 victory.
Zakaria: “We’re very happy with the result, and the way we played was great too.”
Congratulations on the win! Did you get your revenge for the Champions League playoff?
Finally! (smiles) We’re super happy. We came here to win; we had a score to settle. We’re very happy with the result, and the way we played was great too.
Was it a great match for you?
I think I’ve played better ones (laughs). The best is yet to come, I hope!
Do you feel comfortable in the three-man defense?
Yes, I feel comfortable there. It’s a bit new, but I’m able to help the team and I’m happy to do so.
Did the pressing work with great intensity?
Absolutely. I think a lot of effort was put in, with fantastic work. The midfielders and forwards did a tremendous job. It was a complete performance.
Zakaria: “It’s about defending forward, not being afraid.”
The secret to pressing?
It’s about defending forward, not being afraid. When you can put your foot in, you have to.
Were there also moments when you were very compact defensively?
We know it’s never easy against PSG, but we managed it well.
Any specific work in training?
Of course, it takes practice. But we had already played PSG in a short period of time, so we knew what we had to do. We refined our game and we’re very happy to win.
