This Saturday at 5pm (broadcast on beIN SPORTS), Paris Saint-Germain (1st) take on Lens (7th) at the Stade Bollaert as part of the 18th day of Ligue 1 2024-2025. Florian Sotoca spoke to Lensois.com about the match and the Parisian opponent. He spoke of the team’s ambitions and the importance of preparing well against PSG.
Sotoca “We’re still ambitious, we’re still an ambitious team and especially as we’re at Bollaert on Saturday”.
“Florian Sotoca, you’ll be facing PSG again this season, and even though the club is still unbeaten in the league, do you think it’s achievable to beat them at Bollaert on Saturday ?
Of course, we’re still ambitious, we’re still an ambitious team, especially as we’re at Bollaert on Saturday. We’ve already shown in the French Cup that we’re capable of doing something. I hope that’ll be the case on Saturday, but we’ve learned a lot from our first game, which was a very difficult 1-0 defeat at the Parc, even if it wasn’t a big loss. I think our Coupe de France match was a success.
In the first half, yes, we didn’t have the ball much, but they didn’t have too many chances. However, in the second half, we were able to exploit the ball better and put them in trouble. We know it comes down to nothing, so in the end, we’re pretty proud of what we did in this French Cup match. Now it’s up to us to repeat that performance.
Sotoca “I don’t know if this is really the system that will cause Paris the most problems”.
RC Lens can play with either four or three at the back. Which of the two is more likely to keep the ball and withstand the pressure of a team like Paris ?
I don’t know if it’s really the system that’s going to cause Paris the most problems, whether we play with four or three. It’s more our state of mind, our desire to go forward, our desire to hurt them that’s going to be the most important. The coach has an idea in mind, and he put it to us yesterday and today. But the most important thing is going to be us, what we put on the pitch, the ingredients we bring.”
Lens at home is tough. PSG will have their work cut out, especially as the players will have their heads in City. A win (again) against Lens away from home would be an interesting test. The resulting confidence could help the Parisians prepare in the best possible way.
As far as the system is concerned, PSG are currently unstoppable in France. We can therefore count on a focused Parisian team, ready to break everything down, once again, to keep up the pressure in Ligue 1. It has to be said that Will Still is capable of great things against PSG, and Luis Enrique’s team won’t be able to win without giving their all on the pitch. We can’t wait for the next round of matches. Paris has its destiny in its own hands, and we can’t let it go.
