Kévin Monnet-Paquet: "We have our convictions"

Do you think that PSG can still have their heads in the clouds after their victory in the Champions League this Tuesday?

I think that they’re down to earth again. They have a good team, with players used to obtaining multiple victories in a row. They’re going to come here with the goal of crushing us. They’ve only lost one match this season and they’re doing rather well at the moment. Tuesday’s victory strengthened them. We’re on our home turf. We won our last match. We know the effort we’ll have to put in to deliver a great performance and achieve a feat like beating PSG.

Do you still have memories of the match last season against PSG (1-1)?

I remember it very well. They had 10 players on the field for a good part of the match. We played a very good match in regards of our capacity to embarrass them and to use the ball. The outcome was infuriating. We showed that we could shake them up. Against them, there’s isn’t a secret: you have to be completely aggressive and use proper technique. They don’t like to run after the ball too much.

Do you feel liberated from the weight that the statistics can put on someone?

Finishing well has always been my biggest issue. But, there isn’t just statistics. It’s always better to score or assist, that’s what’s most difficult. Now, that’s not my primary role. It’s a position that suits me. For me like for the team, that works. Before, I was saying that I prefered to play on the wings, where I always played since I was a youth. Here I learned to step back, trouble shoot. The system that the coach has put in place is turning out well for us. It’s physically demanding but I keep pace.