This Wednesday at 9pm (CET) Paris Saint-Germain will face Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final (PSG won the first leg 5-4). In a press conference, Bavarian defender Jonathan Tah (30 years old) spoke about this match and the Parisian opponent.
Tah: “That’s our style of play and we’re not going to change it.”
A more defensive approach?
In general, our style of play has gotten us to where we are today. It wouldn’t make any sense for us to change anything about it. We want to play attractive, attacking football. Of course, it’s demanding, but it’s our style of play and we’re not going to change it.
What was your feeling after the first leg?
It was a strange feeling after the match. The way we came back seemed positive. On the other hand, we conceded five goals. The result reflects that it was a very eventful match; I’ve never experienced a match like that before.
Tah: “It’s about enjoyment and passion.”
How are you approaching the second leg?
I’m really looking forward to playing this match. You’re even more tense and focused. But anticipation trumps everything else, especially with the first leg behind us. It’s going to be a lot of fun. It’s important for me not to forget why I started playing football – it’s about enjoyment and passion.
The key to eliminating PSG?
Their players move around a lot and change positions often, just like us. The most important thing is that we’re aggressive and get involved in the duels. We have to win the duels and the second balls, and do everything we can to avoid being caught on the counter-attack.
Tah: “It gives us confidence for this second leg and has shown us that we can do it.”
The call for everyone to wear red in the stadium?
We definitely notice it when everything is red. What I feel most is this special atmosphere. Against Real Madrid, we felt the support from the moment we came out to warm up. We felt it was different. It’s an incredible surge; you can’t underestimate that when the whole stadium is behind you.
Does the second half give you confidence for the return leg?
Vincent Kompany wasn’t in the locker room at halftime (he was suspended). We conceded a penalty before halftime, so they were ahead, which is never a good feeling. But we had a good feeling in this match; we felt that if we continued like that, we could be dangerous. What we showed in the second half, the way we started it, made it difficult for them. It gives us confidence for this return leg and showed us that we can do it.
Tah: “It’s not a good feeling, but why did we concede them?”
Frustrated to have conceded so many goals in the first leg?
No defender likes to concede goals. But as the coach said, you can’t see things in black and white. You have to look at the goals, how you conceded them, and in what situations. You have to analyze.
You can’t just say, ‘Oh, we conceded a lot of goals, and it wasn’t pleasant.’ No, it’s not a good feeling, but why did we concede them? We talked about it a lot this week. Ultimately, it’s the little details we need to work on to avoid giving away opportunities and conceding goals.
