Marquinhos, Paris Saint-Germain’s central defender and captain, spoke to Ligue1+ after PSG’s 2-2 draw against Lille this Friday at the Stade Pierre Mauroy, in Matchday 2 of the 2026-2027 Ligue 1 season.
Marquinhos: “It’s the first time I’ve seen so many tough matches right at the start of the season.”
What does this 2-2 draw say about PSG?
I think it says a lot. The positive aspect is always the mentality of fighting to get a result when we’re trailing. That’s a very good thing for what lies ahead—for the season. In tough matches, in difficult moments, we dig deep. We stand together and support one another. Substitutes come on and bring a bit more energy. And we manage to score two goals.
It also shows that we aren’t at 100% yet. We’re aware of that, and we’re going to work on improving as quickly as possible. These are important points. We have five matches against title rivals—against very tough opponents. There’s Rennes, Lille, Monaco. I’ve been here for years, and this is the first time I’ve seen so many difficult games right at the start of the season. It’s up to us to manage that and pick up as many points as possible. These are important points for the future; in the end, they count for a lot.
Marquinhos: “You always have to be ready to fight for 90 minutes against PSG.”
Was the mentality a major positive of the evening?
Yes, as I said, the mentality is the positive—the energy the team gives right up to the end of the match. Some teams think it’s over when they’re 2-0 up against us. But we show every time that it’s never over against PSG. We have character, we have team spirit, and we keep pushing right up to the final minute.
That’s what the coach asks of us: to keep playing regardless of the score—whether we’re winning or losing. We always try to push forward and stay aggressive. We showed that again today. At 2–0 down, we didn’t change a thing; we kept trying to get a result right to the end. We had chances to score earlier but didn’t convert them. We managed to do it late in the game. It’s never over against us. You always have to be ready to fight for the full 90 minutes against PSG.
Marquinhos: “We have a referee to manage the time.”
What is the main strength that allows you to turn these situations around?
We rely on the collective; that’s our strength. It has been for the past few years, and it will continue to be this year.
Were the Lille players unhappy with the stoppage time? Did the referee say anything?
No, sometimes when you’re on the pitch, you don’t even know how much time is left. We were pressing, we had the ball, and we wanted to win—we wanted to score that goal, and we succeeded. I think there’s a referee to handle the timing. Our job is to play, and it worked out in our favor this time. Sometimes it goes against you. That’s football—it comes down to details. You can’t switch off until the match is over, or PSG will punish you.
