This Sunday at 8:45 PM (CET), Paris Saint-Germain (2nd) will face Paris FC (14th) at the Parc des Princes for Matchday 17 of the 2025-2026 Ligue 1 season. In a press conference, Stéphane Gilli, PFC coach, spoke about the upcoming match and their opponent. He highlighted the qualities of Luis Enrique’s team, while also reminding his players that they must approach this match with the desire to achieve something.
Gilli: “We’re not going there as sacrificial lambs.”
“The team will be different, but not weakened. It’s not a puzzle, but we need to think about how to best approach this PSG team. We’ve been working on things and we’re going to try to field the most competitive team possible.” We know that PSG is the best team in Europe and certainly the world, with a coach who has built a strong team over the past two and a half years. But when you have the ambition to be in Ligue 1, it’s also to play matches like this.
Today, we’re not playing in the same league, but we’re going to do our best to present a positive image of Paris FC. We’re not going there as sacrificial lambs. This derby is good for Paris and for French football. But I don’t want my players to be inhibited by the pressure of facing PSG; they have to enjoy themselves and seize our opportunity.
Gilli: “If we can break free from their counter-pressing.”
They wear us down, they wear us down… They have a very strong counter-pressing system. But if we can break free from that counter-pressing, it could be interesting. We’ll have to be focused and disciplined for 95 minutes, because the slightest lapse in concentration or technical error can be costly. At the start of the season, we may have overperformed, but for the last few matches, we’ve been underperforming. We need to be able to restore balance. Last year, we weren’t doing very well at this time of year either, but we bounced back to get promoted.
As has often been the case for months, there’s a certain admiration for a PSG team that’s particularly difficult to play against. It’s a big challenge for Paris FC, with an added dimension since it’s the derby. There’s also the fact that they’re a newly promoted team with a long-term project, facing the reigning European champions. It’s enough to make anyone feel intimidated, but they need to fight that feeling.
Stéphane Gilli’s players will have to approach this match with a real desire to achieve something special, perhaps even a significant victory. They’ll need to use their strengths while being fully aware that there will be significant challenges. Solidarity will be essential, as will a strong performance.
PSG often demands minimal mistakes, or even peak form. But they’re not perfect, and there are undoubtedly areas they can exploit. They need to focus on this aspect and hope for a slight dip in form to increase their chances of capitalizing on weaknesses. But giving up would be pointless.
