João Neves, the 21-year-old Paris Saint-Germain midfielder, spoke to Ligue1+ following PSG’s 2-1 victory over Olympique de Marseille this Sunday at the Stade Vélodrome, in Matchday 5 of the 2026-2027 Ligue 1 season.
Neves: “We managed to make the right adjustments.”
These matches are tough to win; did it require a lot of energy?
Yes, as I always say, playing against Marseille is difficult. Especially here. But, as I always say, the team that wins is the one that brings the most intensity, even though the first half was harder for us.
At halftime, we managed to make the right adjustments, and we played a better game in the second half. Then, once we had the numerical advantage, it was easier to find space. We scored twice, and it’s a source of pride to win here in Le Classique.
Neves: “We’re going to keep improving.”
How important was it to string together a second win?
Of course; I know the team is very calm. We’re also very focused—we often drop points early in the season. Now, we need to play as well as possible, just as the coach wants, because the better you play, the closer you get to victory.
We need to be more focused and more confident in ourselves; with the mentality we have, we’re going to keep improving in the upcoming matches. We’ll get back to first place—I’m absolutely certain of it.
Neves: “I don’t care about myself; I want the team to win.”
What happened with that header?
I was focused on the opponent, but I know I should have scored. As I always say, I don’t care about myself; I want the team to win, as always, and I am proud of what we achieved here because it is difficult to play against them. This is for us, and for our supporters who were there with us at training—and I hope they’ll be waiting for us at the airport to congratulate us.
