This Saturday at 5pm (broadcast on beIN SPORTS) Paris Saint-Germain (1st) take on Lens (7th) at Stade Bollaert as part of the 18th day of Ligue 1 2024-2025. At a press conference, Lens coach Will Still spoke about the match, including points to build on from the Ligue 1 defeat in November (1-0) and the French Cup Round of 32 (1-1, then eliminated on penalties).
Still “There are positives to take from these two games”.
“What can we take away from the first two games against PSG to prepare?
We’ve learned a lot from these two games, and we’ve had the time to really analyze the Paris team. Our match last week showed that we’re capable of adapting, so that leaves us with a lot of options. It’ll be up to us to find the best scenario for this match, knowing that we’re looking for a bit more than a draw like in the Cup. A win would be welcome.
We’re aware of what we’ve offered in the two games we’ve played against them. In the first game in Paris, we were a bit passive in the first half. The second half was much better. In the Cup, what we put in place was good. We missed a lot of chances in transition, and we lost on details.
The important thing is to stand up to this team, who have the best players in the league. We’ll be able to keep them on their toes, but we’ll have to be very, very good. There’s definitely something positive to come out of these two games.
Still “we’re looking for continuity and logic.
A 5 or 4-man defence ?
The match against PSG in the Cup was a different scenario. Here, we’re looking for continuity and logic. Starting with 5 is still a possibility. We have quite strong playing principles that we want to implement over the long term. But the scenario and the context are different”, comments relayed by But!
Of course, the matches played against PSG during the season can be useful for Lens. There are always lessons to be learned, and what’s more, Lens managed to give Paris a run for their money. There’s a formula that’s worked pretty well, and it can serve as a basis for trying to do even better.
But be warned, the Parisian team is also capable of doing better than in these matches, and Parisian coach Luis Enrique will also have analysed the situation with his staff, to see what they can build on and what needs to be changed.
It will undoubtedly be a hard-fought match, and PSG will be hard-pressed not to look ahead to next Wednesday’s decisive Champions League clash with Manchester City. We’re sure that Still will have his team well-prepared to cause the Parisians problems, so it’s up to them to be ready to fight together to overcome the obstacles.
