This Friday at 8pm (CET) Paris Saint-Germain (2nd) will face Auxerre (17th) at the Stade Abbé-Deschamps as part of the 19th matchday of Ligue 1 2025-2026. In a press conference, Auxerre coach Christophe Pélissier spoke about this match and their Parisian opponent.
Pelissier: “But against teams like that, they’re the ones who decide.”
“What’s the right mindset for facing PSG?”
“We need to stay positive. We know who we’re up against, just like last week. It’s about our ability to give our best. But against teams like that, they’re the ones who decide.”
What are the ingredients for an upset?
” “We have to do everything perfectly, because they’ll take advantage of the slightest opening. It’s essential to defend very well; we know we won’t have much of the ball. But in the 20 or 25% of the time we do have it, we have to use it well. Both to create chances and to give ourselves a little breathing room against their counter-pressing.
Pelissier: “We have to try to gain ground whenever we can.”
Is a high block like against Lens possible?
“The two teams (Lens and PSG) don’t have the same characteristics. Paris has a much higher level of technical quality. It will be more difficult to have such a high block. But at the same time, if we’re pinned back in our own penalty area for 90 minutes… We have to try to gain ground whenever we can.
A back four or five?
Many teams adapt to top-level teams.” They’re a team that uses the width of the pitch very well. It’s either a five-man or a six-man defense. Even against teams that play with four men, let’s not kid ourselves, the wingers come back to defend. And as soon as the gaps open up, they dive inside. You have to be heroic against teams and players like that.
Pelissier: “It’s a bonus match, in quotes.”
Extra motivation?
“It’s a bonus match, in quotes. But you have to play it with the desire to seize the opportunity. We managed to do that last year. This match might have less pressure than those coming up, but it should help us prepare for what’s to come,” remarks reported by L’Yonne Républicaine.
In Christophe Pélissier’s words, everything is said, or almost: against PSG, it’s often the Parisians who “decide.” A reality that takes on even more weight in the current context. Having lost to Sporting in the Champions League, the capital club can’t afford to dwell on it. Domestically, Lens is holding firm at the top of the league, and the slightest hesitation will be punished severely. Paris must therefore show its teeth, quickly, and impose its rhythm to prevent any doubt from creeping in.
The Auxerre coach’s words also reflect a mixture of respect and clear-sightedness: a deeper defensive block, limited possession, and meticulous management of the few periods of sustained pressure. In other words, everything PSG hates when it lacks sharpness. It’s up to the Parisians to stifle any notion of an upset and send a clear message: the race for first place allows for no relaxation.
There will be no favors; it’s up to Paris to find the solutions, despite absences or other difficulties. That’s the expectation with a big club, one that has international players on the bench. Some of them, in fact, have an opportunity to seize. We will need to respond with intensity and add quality of play in order to gain the upper hand.
