This Thursday at 7pm (CET) Paris Saint-Germain will face Olympique de Marseille at the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait as part of the 2025 Champions Trophy. In a press conference, Marseille coach Roberto De Zerbi spoke about this match and their Parisian opponent.
De Zerbi: “A very high-intensity, very high-commitment match, as if we were playing for more than just a final.”
“What kind of match are you expecting (for the Champions Trophy in Kuwait City, 7 p.m. in France)?”
“I don’t know… But we know what we want to do. We have to play a very high-intensity, very high-commitment match, as if we were playing for more than just a final, as if we were playing for something extra. We’ll have to maintain our composure, our coolness, and our balance throughout the match, and also be combative, which doesn’t mean nervous.”
De Zerbi: “We want to showcase our qualities.”
What are your tactical thoughts after the defeat against Nantes and before this final against PSG?
“We didn’t lose against Nantes because of the tactical aspect. Paris Saint-Germain is the strongest team in Europe, I think, and we respect them, just as we did when we…” “Won. We want to showcase our qualities. We’ll need the courage to play when we have the ball and to regroup when we don’t.”
The message is clear: PSG should expect a very aggressive Marseille side. As we saw in September during Marseille’s 1-0 victory, the Parisians were somewhat overwhelmed by the opponent’s physicality. This isn’t a new weakness, even if it was inevitably more complicated with the lack of preparation.
Paris should be more resilient this time. Of course, they shouldn’t rely solely on physicality. Coach Luis Enrique has emphasized the importance of possession and playing the ball in this final. And De Zerbi reminds everyone that composure is also crucial. So, they must be wary of excessive commitment. The duels will inevitably be hard-fought in Le Classique; the challenge is to find the right balance and make the right decisions. Let’s hope that the Parisians will be able to show that the defeat in September was just an accident.
