Nuno Mendes, Paris Saint-Germain’s 22-year-old left-back, spoke in the mixed zone after the 2-4 victory over Dunkerque (video highlights Dunkerque/PSG) this Tuesday at Stade Pierre Mauroy in the semi-finals of the Coupe de France 2024-2025. He spoke of his side’s qualification, their confidence despite the goals they scored, and the contribution of 27-year-old striker Ousmane Dembélé.
Nuno Mendes “That’s soccer”.
How do you explain the 1st half and the goals conceded ?
We knew it was going to be a complicated game. They’ve eliminated 3 Ligue 1 teams. We didn’t get into the game very well, but I think we did our job. We tried to score, but they were a bit behind. That’s the way the game is. We still managed to score 4 goals, and that’s the most important thing.
Were you scared ?
That’s soccer, we took 2 goals. We have to keep doing what we have to do on the pitch. That’s what we did and we won the game today.
Nuno Mendes “We do what we have to do with patience”.
At 2-0, are you worried or still serene ?
The coach always tells us that if we take goals, we’ll just carry on playing our game, calmly. We do what we have to do with patience. We took 2 goals in the first half and we still had time to get the win. I think we did it.
Does this still serve as a warning, particularly in view of Aston Villa ?
Yes, of course. Some games, if you take 2 goals, it’s going to be difficult to get back into the game. We have to keep going and play every game from start to finish.
Nuno Mendes “We’re here to help him, that’s the objective. He’s here to help us too. ”
Dembélé impressive ?
Yes, Ousmane, as I’ve already said in many interviews, he’s an incredible player, a player who can contribute a lot. We’re here to help him, that’s the objective. He’s here to help us too. I think that as a team we’ll be able to achieve great things.
Nuno Mendes “We’re going to try to face every game in the same way, with seriousness.”
Will you now be able to concentrate fully on the Champions League ?
There’s still a game to win, or draw, to be champion. We need to keep going, because the championship is a good preparation for the Champions League. There are a lot of teams in Ligue 1 who are strong, who have the level of the Champions League. We’re going to try to tackle every game in the same serious way.
Is the situation ideal ?
Yes, we’re in a good situation. But that can change. Today, we’re in a good place. But if we lose, there could be doubts. We’ve got a young team and a lot of quality players. We’ve got to keep up the good work.
