This Saturday at 9pm (CET) Paris Saint-Germain (1st) will face Nice (15th) at the Allianz Riviera as part of the 27th matchday of Ligue 1 2025-2026. In a press conference, Nice coach Claude Puel spoke about this match and their Parisian opponent.
Puel: “It’s always interesting to play the best team in Europe.”
“The mindset
We trained well, with a good mindset and a positive atmosphere. We’re preparing for a match. It’s always interesting to play the best team in Europe and to know where we stand. There are three points at stake, like in any match. We’re always in a position where we have to go for those points. We’re aware of the value of each point. There are still quite a few to go for. The squad? There are no returning or injured players compared to the Angers match.”
Puel: “Being through to the final half allowed them to rotate the squad and distribute playing time.”
The best time to face Paris?
There’s no good or bad time to play PSG. They are playing four days after their Champions League match (a 3-0 victory at Chelsea), but being through to the final half allowed them to “We need to rotate the squad and distribute playing time. It’s the last match before the international break, it’s a different context. They’ll be fully present.”, comments reported by Nice Matin.
In his remarks, Claude Puel is neither trying to downplay PSG’s visit nor artificially inflate Nice’s hopes. His point is based on a simple idea: facing the team he considers the best in Europe should serve as a benchmark for his squad, provided they don’t get carried away.
The Nice coach emphasizes the value of this type of match to gauge his team’s true level, but he also points out that Paris arrives in a favorable context after their victory at Chelsea, with squad management that limits the impact of the packed schedule. In other words, Nice can use this match to raise their game mentally and collectively, but only by approaching this clash with maximum focus and a full awareness of the Parisian threat.
This cautious analysis actually reinforces the significance of Puel’s message: the desire is certainly there, but it’s not accompanied by any naivety. Against PSG, enthusiasm can lift Nice up, provided it doesn’t turn into a nightmare evening.
