Paris Saint-Germain boss Thomas Tuchel felt that preparation and motivation paid off in the 4-0 Classique win over Marseille; opposite number André Villas-Boas took full responsibility for the first-half goal blitz.
Sunday, 27 October, 2019
Paris Saint-Germain 4-0 Olympique de Marseille
Thomas Tuchel (Paris Saint-Germain coach): "It was an exceptional match and we deserved to be 4-0 up at half-time. We had a lot of chances and showed all our class and determination to win a match like this. Three wins in ten days is a great return. We prepared well for this match. Today we talked tactics. Then, just before the game, we motivated the team. Marquinhos and Thiago Silva spoke to the rest of the team before the match. Sometimes it's difficult to always maintain the intensity when you lose the ball, but we did that well tonight and that gave us chances like when we scored the second goal."
Mauro Icardi (Paris Saint-Germain forward): "I felt really good tonight. I scored two goals in my first Classique - more than I could have hoped for. We won this big match in style and that's the most important thing. Four-nil is a great scoreline and we need to keep working hard to continue getting results like this. Angel Di Maria supplied me with two great passes to try and score and at the end of the match and we had a good moment with the supporters to celebrate the match together. It was fantastic."
André Villas-Boas (Olympique de Marseille coach): "What do you want me to say? They were very good and very effective in the first half. They made the difference with their individual qualities. Yes, it's my fault, I'm responsible. We tried to play well offside, but [Marco] Verratti managed to break our lines and they are fast, intelligent in the spaces. I'm proud of my players for the second half; it's tough to come back onto the pitch when it's 4-0, but my lads continued to play with authority, with very good individual and team performances. Our objective is the podium, always. We're only three points adrift, in seventh. Now we're going to play against the teams in our Championship, against Lille and Lyon, but first in Monaco in the League Cup. This is an important week. We need to get settled mentally and make sure the team recuperates well."
AS Saint-Etienne 2-2 Amiens SC
Claude Puel (Saint-Etienne coach): "We saw a very good game of football, between two teams who played with the best of intentions, going forward. We should have controlled it. We should have scored when we were on top. In terms of our possession, it's our best match. There is a lot to do in terms of taking our chacnes and in our defending. We alternate some great things and some positioning mistakes. Our team is you. I'm happy with how we played, but a bit disappointed to have drawn at home."
Luka Elsner (Amiens coach): "It's quite a good thing to leave Saint-Étienne with regrets. That means we're on the right track. We had some favourable situations that didn't end well. It was an open game with chances at both ends. There are regrets, but they are positive regrets. There's also pride in the match we played. I'm happy to experience games like that, even if they're not great for the heart."
Stade Rennais FC 3-2 Toulouse FC
Julien Stéphan (Rennes coach): "There's a lot of joy and some relief. We missed out on the win, and I hope it'll set us off on a good run. It was incredible, but could it have been any other way. Perhaps it was our destiny. We started brilliantly, carried by the energy of our fans. After that, we sat back a bit and gave the initiative to Toulouse, who got back into the game. In the second half, both sides had the upper hand at different times, and we were in danger of them getting an equaliser."
Antoine Kombouaré (Toulouse coach): "I'm frustrated, yes, but I have mixed feelings because we started catastrophically, but we battled back after that and showed character. We deservedly got back level, and then stopped playing. Rennes pushed and Gboho did was was necessary to score. We shot and crossed more than Rennes, we scored twice away from home, but we're weak defensively. You also have to be solid."
Saturday, 26 October, 2019
LOSC 3-0 Girondins de Bordeaux
Christophe Galtier (LOSC coach): "Victor [Osimhen] has a groin strain. He already had a pain and we knew the risk. I asked him this morning if he could play and he told me he felt good. I don't know how serious it is. We have other attacking weapons, unlike last season. My only fear is at the point of the attack Loïc Remy is the only other solution. Timothy Weah isn't back to full fitness yet. I'll have to find other solutions because we have a tough run of games."
Paulo Sousa (Bordeaux coach): "We only played for the last 20 minutes. Lille pressed us hard. They were better than us in terms of quality, speed and technique. They made us make mistakes. We need to dig deep. Lille can be competitive in all competitions. They have a lot of quality in every position. We still have a lot of room for improvement. We're at the beginning of an exciting project. These kind of games help us grow."
Stade Brestois 29 2-0 Dijon FCO
Olivier Dall'Oglio (Brest coach): "We were up against an athletic opponent who did some good things. This was not a cheap victory. You can put on a show sometimes but this was about our state of mind. Being fifth? There are still matches to play. Things can change quickly in football. We know why we are where we are and we'll keep our feet on the ground."
Stéphane Jobart (Dijon coach): "We're very disappointed with the game. We were poor on many levels, didn't build many chances and were rash. It wasn't enough to come away from here with anything. The attackers' movement wasn't great but they also had little to feed off. We were glad it was 0-0 at the break. We'll need to show character over the next few weeks. A lot of players are tired after tonight."
Olympique Lyonnais 2-0 FC Metz
Rudi Garcia (Lyon coach): "This was a crucial victory and I liked my players' attitude. They controlled the match. It was a very good first half with two goals. I wish we had played as well in the second. We slowed down and didn't have too many chances. I'm satisfied, though. The team gelled well. [Anthony] Lopes kept a clean sheet and made some important saves. Our strikers scored. We had some fresh blood. Everyone played well. It's a message to the squad that I'm counting on them all."
Vincent Hognon (Metz coach): "Things weren't going so badly but then it turned against us. There were a few penalty decisions that could have gone the other way. We were up against a good team but of course it's disappointing. We left ourselves open too much in the second half. [Memphis] Depay scored a good goal but at 1-0 we were still in the game."
Montpellier Hérault SC 0-0 Angers SCO
Michel Der Zakarian (Montpellier coach): "We had the chance to take the lead in the first half. We tried a lot of things against a side the defended deep and tried to hit us on the counter. Angers were dangerous with their transitions but they only had one clear chance in the second half. Téji [Savanier] hasn't played for three months. It's a long time and he needs time to get back to his best. I'm very happy with how my forwards [Andy Delort and Gaëtan Laborde] played. Against a team set up to defend they did what they could. I'm satisfied with the performance."
Stéphane Moulin (Angers coach): "I'm satisfied with the performance. The draw ends a bad run for us, but I really appreciated the attitude shown by the team. We needed to have character. We were up against a side who had won their last four home games. We embarrassed Montpellier and didn't forget to play. Now we have to find a way to goal. We missed a cutting edge. We need to have more calm in front of goal."
Stade de Reims 0-0 Nîmes Olympique
David Guion (Reims coach): "We were defensively poor in the first half. However, we had a few chances to take the lead before the break. We totally dominated our opponents in the second half. We had clear chances to score but Nîmes defended very well. They had a few set pieces but not much else around that. My team was balanced and good in transitions. We just missed the final touch.
Bernard Blaquart (Nîmes coach): "We could've won this game but we also could've lost it. A draw's fair, there were chances for both sides. We were in trouble a few times in the first half but we also kept the ball better than in recent games. It's positive. Defensively, we were rather strong. The problem is in attack. We lost virtually all of our midfielders and attackers last year. It's necessary to rebuild and it's not easy. We've drawn three games. Hopefully things turn in our favour soon."
RC Strasbourg Alsace 1-0 OGC Nice
Thierry Laurey (Strasbourg coach): "I'd say it was more encouraging than reassuring. We weren't in much trouble. Thanks to some players who came back from injury and others who had simply played less and perhaps hungrier, we played as good a game as I've seen for some time. It got harder towards the end but, on the whole, I think we deserved to win. I'm optimistic because I think we have a responsive group. We need to keep this enthusiasm so that we're in a safer position going into Christmas. The league table's tight. We have to be better away from home but we'll get there."
Patrick Vieira (Nice coach): "We struggled to get into the game. On the whole, when you play a match as important as this one with seven or eight players missing it makes it more difficult. We deserved to leave here with a point. Physically, they were stronger than us, though. I'm not disappointed in any of my players but I do expect more from some of them, that's for sure. There's a bit of an issue with confidence. You can feel it. We need to stick together and stay focused on our objectives."
Friday, 25 October, 2019
FC Nantes 0-1 AS Monaco
Christian Gourcuff (Nantes coach): "It's a frustrating defeat, because in the first half even if there were some errors, we had clear-cut chances. They had one and scored, and we have lost Fabio for the season. If he hadn't got injured, perhaps Ben Yedder doesn't score. The frustration lies in that, in those technical errors despite a lot of determination. In football, you have to be precises, more certain in our transitions, control the game better. We were a little hasty in trying to get level, it's a classic case. We can regret missing those first-half chances, because if we score first, it changes a lot."
Leonardo Jardim (Monaco coach): "It's important to win away from home. In our position, we have to take points home and away. It was a tough game against a good team. The first half was quite balanced and we were better in the second. The most important thing is the three points. I'm passionate about football. Winning 2-1, 3-2 or 4-2, it doesn't matter as long as you win. If you concede a goal, you have to score one more than your opponents. But it's positive not to concede one. The whole team defended well and showed character. We have to keep working to continue winning."
