Are you still surprised by Kylian Mbappé (after the success against Strasbourg thanks to a penalty scored and converted by the Bondy native)?
It is a continuation of what he did in the WC. He had very few rest days, but the fact of being last in the competition, despite the sadness, allowed him to keep up the pace. Since his return, he was keen to play these two games (against Strasbourg, then in Lens, on Sunday), especially to win them. He was a trigger through his selflessness and his determination. He pulled the whole team into it and we were able to win in the end. There were penalties in almost every L1 game today so I knew we were going to get one. It was better for us that he fell at that time and Kylian did not flinch.
How do you rate the performances of Marquinho and Neymar, also back from the World Cup?
Unlike Hakimi and Kylian, who went to the end with pace, I suspected it would be more difficult for those who had had ten to twelve days of recovery and only four sessions to prepare for the match, like Marqui and Ney . But Marquinhos immediately found the right tempo. He was determined and showed a certain state of mind with a real desire not to suffer. A bit like Neymar who alternated between the high game and a lower game. He messed up a lot. I can understand that there is anger and frustration on his part. Because I can understand the yellow card for the simulation. But the first one he took is very serious compared to the number of mistakes he suffered before, no small…
Marco Verratti has extended until 2026. What do you think?
This is very good news for the club, we will call him Marc! It is a strong sign from him and from the club to keep the senior players. He is the best in his position in the world, in a very specific, atypical register. We often have players of stature in that position, like Thiago Motta, he brings something different and he is exceptional.
You established the young central defender El-Chadaille Bitshsiabu (17) on the left. Why ?
Juan Bernat suffered from muscle problems and was unavailable. We had worked for “Chad” to participate on the left side. We realized he wasn’t comfortable offensively, so we had to change our organization a little bit to get the ball out. But he was very good defensively, and given the context it is therefore a very successful first place for him.
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