This Saturday at 5pm (CET) Paris Saint-Germain (1st) will face Lorient (9th) at the Parc des Princes as part of the 32nd matchday of Ligue 1 2025-2026. In a press conference, Lorient coach Olivier Pantaloni spoke about this match and their Parisian opponent.
Pantaloni: “PSG/Bayern? It was magnificent, a real feast for the eyes.”
PSG/Bayern? It was magnificent, a real feast for the eyes. It’s incredible to have the ability to create such good play, to maintain intensity, and to preserve technical quality despite fatigue and exertion. It was truly captivating. During the match, I spoke with Cahu (Yannick Cahuzac, his assistant) because he was blown away by Olise’s performance. I was chatting with some friends at the same time, and everyone was pleasantly surprised by the spectacle.
Pantaloni: “We’re not getting carried away with the fact that Paris will be weakened.”
A good time against a revamped Paris side?
Without really knowing the Parisian starting eleven on Saturday, they will still be top-level players. We’re not getting carried away with the fact that Paris will be weakened by changing 3 or 4 players against us. In my analysis, I might highlight the qualities of some Parisian players who get less playing time. But I think that in the locker room, my players know almost everyone.”
Olivier Pantaloni didn’t try to downplay what PSG showed against Bayern Munich. The Lorient coach focused primarily on the intensity, technical quality, and Parisian team’s ability to maintain a very high level despite the fatigue of a major European match. But his comments didn’t veer into naive admiration.
With Saturday’s match approaching, he knows that Luis Enrique might rotate the squad, without it really changing the difficulty of Lorient’s task. For Pantaloni, a few changes to the Parisian starting eleven aren’t enough to suggest a weakened team. PSG has a deep enough squad to field top-level players, even when they get less playing time. Lorient therefore approaches the match with respect, but without any illusions.
This statement also says a lot about how their opponents view them. now in Paris. Even when the schedule gets heavier, even when rotation is expected, Paris Saint-Germain retains a sporting aura that forces the opponent to prepare more than just a starting eleven: a game plan, intensity, and squad depth.
