Paris Saint-Germain defeated AS Monaco 3-2 this Tuesday at the Stade Louis II in the first leg of the 2025-2026 Champions League playoffs (second leg on February 25). After this victory, PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov (26 years old) spoke in the mixed zone.
Safonov: “I have to keep working and try to earn the starting spot in the next match.”
How is the competition going?
It’s definitely a bit tough, the competition that affects everyone, including goalkeepers. Right now, I’m the one playing matches, but that doesn’t mean I’ll play in the next ones too. I have to keep working and try to earn the starting spot in the next match.
What happened in the first 20 minutes?
It’s hard to say. I prefer to watch the video first before talking. But that wasn’t our plan, that’s for sure. We showed our character. I’m very happy that we were able to change the game and the result.
Safonov: “When he came onto the pitch, the game changed.”
Did Doué change the match?
Absolutely, everyone can understand that when he came onto the pitch, the game changed.
Dembélé’s injury?
I don’t have any information.
What needs to change to avoid a scare in the return leg?
I don’t know what kind of match it will be. But we’ll definitely work on the timing of the start of the match. We need to watch the video and change that. But we played well, we created a lot of chances, and Monaco are lucky that we only scored 3 goals.
Safonov: “If we want to win trophies, we have to show our character.”
The support of the away fans?
It was magnificent. I felt the atmosphere from the PSG fans, thank you all so much.
Is mental strength the team’s main strength?
There are a few examples in other matches where we’ve shown our mental strength. We were able to turn things around today. We changed the game. That’s our strength, we have to keep going like this. If we want to win trophies, we have to show our character. We have to give it our all.
