This Saturday at 9:05 PM (CET), Paris Saint-Germain (2nd) faces Metz (18th) at the Parc des Princes for Matchday 23 of the 2025-2026 Ligue 1 season. In a press conference, Metz coach Benoît Tavenot spoke about the upcoming match, their Parisian opponent, and his team’s current predicament.
Tavenot: “The message is combative.”
An update on the squad?
Benjamin Stambouli and Magondo are still injured. Guerti and Sy are recovering and progressing well, but they can’t play yet. Deminguet didn’t train on Tuesday, but he did yesterday. We had an unpleasant surprise with Gauthier Hein; his ankle was swollen. But he should be able to train soon.
How are the players doing mentally?
It’s clear that we didn’t make things easy for ourselves with the defeat against Auxerre. Now, the message is combative, it’s always the same. In the end, only the strongest will succeed, individually and collectively. We have to face the situation. Everyone slept very poorly on Sunday; we had hoped for another week. But the players were there for the restart, and we got back to work. I have no complaints. Unfortunately, against Auxerre, we had some lapses that cost us dearly.
Are there positive prospects for the end of the season?
There are always prospects; we can’t let ourselves slip. I said it before the Auxerre match: we’re on a knife-edge. It’s been the case from the start; we can’t let it break. We have to face this and get back to winning as soon as possible.
Tavenot: “We’re not going to act cocky, but we’re not going to apologize either.”
How do we bounce back?
We have to be responsible. It went Auxerre’s way, which is unfortunate. We have to move forward, and I’ll always say the same thing. We’re not giving up, and we’re still here. We’re proving people wrong, not the fans, but everyone around us who already sees us going down. Everyone said it from the start, but it’s not inevitable. We’re not doing well right now, but we’re not going to move forward. I want players who are present and who face the music, even if it’s tough.
The trip to the Parc des Princes?
We have to find at least the same energy we had against Lille. After all, they’re the best team in Europe; they have the Ballon d’Or winner, even if he’ll probably be injured. We’re not going to act cocky, but we’re not going to apologize either. We have to make them find the resources to be better. PSG shouldn’t be superior by walking. If they give their all, if they’re very good, whatever happens, happens. But we have to be competitive with intensity. Even if PSG can play with more, with exceptional players. We have to be at the maximum of what we can do.
Tavenot: “There are two options.”
What tactical approach?
I haven’t decided yet; it could be with three or two center-backs. I’m going to think about it some more. There are two options. If we sit deep, they’ll play at a walking pace, find a pass that isn’t there, and a shot that isn’t there, and we’ll have a headache. Or we can try to press higher up the pitch, which requires a lot of effort, and unfortunately, if we do it very well, Paris can get past us… There’s no easy plan. But the idea is to make them run, to create opportunities to move us around.
But if we look at our recent starts to matches, with goals, a red card… It’s just not acceptable. If we have a headache after four minutes, it’s going to be a very long night. We have to move forward, show more character. That’s part of what it takes to be a top-level player.
