Sébastien Pocognoli: "Give ourselves the best possible chance before the return leg at the Parc."

Take inspiration from the Ligue 1 McDonald’s clash. After beating beating PSG last November (1–0), AS Monaco face the Parisian side once again in the first leg of their Champions League playoff this Tuesday (21:00) at the Stade Louis-II. On the eve of this European clash, Sébastien Pocognoli spoke at the press conference, driven by the desire to gain an advantage ahead of the return leg. Excerpts.🎙️

The squad at his disposal

Maghnes (Akliouche) is a doubt after taking a knock to the hip and undergoing further tests yesterday. He still needs to be assessed today and tomorrow morning, as we have another training session scheduled. It’s the same situation for Lamine (Camara), who suffered a blow to his ankle, and Ansu (Fati), who took a knock to the quadriceps. He was still in pain yesterday. As for Christian (Mawissa), he will not be fit in time.

Is this two-legged tie your biggest challenge?

No, I don’t think so. For me, the biggest challenge is having a successful season. Tomorrow’s match is part of that objective. There’s no extra pressure or expectation surrounding this game, even if we’re facing PSG in the Champions League. They are the defending champions, eager to prove themselves again this year and retain the trophy. The reality is that we are the underdogs, and we have to embrace that status and do everything we can to give ourselves a real chance of qualifying.

On PSG

They have a lot of individual quality, and their collective strength is evident. They were impressive last season, and still are. Maintaining consistency over two years with top-level performances is difficult, because even the best teams go through highs and lows. When PSG lose, the reaction is much stronger compared to other clubs because of their stature. They will have a strong season, as they have a good squad and a great coach who knows how to win trophies.

In any case, the context between the league and European competition is completely different. One thing is certain: if we can raise our level to what we’ve shown in the Champions League or in big league matches, we will have our chances. And we have to believe in that, otherwise there’s no point in taking part. I think my players want to enjoy a big night tomorrow to give themselves the best possible chance ahead of the return leg.

PSG’s defeat in Rennes

What happens to PSG is none of my concern. For me, the most important thing is to analyse their game and try to restrain them. The defeat to Rennes will not influence anything, because we are in a different competition. They are the title holders and will certainly want to defend it by playing with great determination. What happened in Rennes cannot be compared to what will happen in tomorrow’s match.

The importance of the first leg

In the history of the Champions League, many teams have taken a big step in the first match but failed to finish the job in the return leg. It’s important to prepare for a great European night in front of our fans, but in my view, even a very strong performance – or a result that goes against us – would not settle the tie. Of course, we can put ourselves in a better position, but there is a second match to play. It’s up to us to give ourselves the best possible chance before the return leg at the Parc.

The style of play to adopt tomorrow

In Madrid, we wanted to play but we try to do that in every match, regardless of the system. The main difference since that game against Real Madrid is the mindset and the reaction when we lose the ball. It’s the mindset that determines whether the system works or not. We’ll see tomorrow which system we adopt. From the moment I arrived, I’ve said we can alternate between several systems, especially when my entire squad is available. Nothing has been decided yet. I need to see which players I have at my disposal to make the best choice.

The role of the underdog

I think any team would be the underdog against PSG. The fact that we are both from the same league means we know each other well. It will be interesting to see how we manage this aspect. We are in the Champions League – we could have faced many different teams and been in this position. In the league, it’s often the opposite because of our reputation. It’s up to us to embrace our role, remaining freer both on and off the ball.