Sunday, April 21, 2019

Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 AS Monaco 

Thomas Tuchel (PSG coach): "We had a good first half. We haven't had the best run of form but we took this game seriously. The first 15 minutes of the second half were good but we lost possession too much after the third goal. We won again, though, and that's important. Everyone wants to win everything. The Champions League is a big goal but a club like Juventus has been waiting 20 years to win this trophy. In Paris, the goal is clear, we must win the double. We must win on Saturday [against Rennes in the Coupe de France final]."

Leonardo Jardim (Monaco coach): "The game was pretty well-balanced but Kylian Mbappé showed how effective he is. He's the one who made all the difference in this match. As for the future, I simply take it one game at a time. We're in a war until the end of the season. It's important to stay focused on the upcoming games. We need six points to stay up."

Kylian Mbappé (PSG forward): "I'm happy the season isn't finished so I can score more. We wanted to win the title and we stuttered a few times recently. This is good preparation for the cup final. I want to chase after every record."

Alphonse Areola (PSG goalkeeper): "People might trivialise it but we're very happy with the title. The season's not over, we still have the final next weekend. We'll all enjoy this success with our family and then prepare for our next game. We're happy for Neymar that he came back. We hope he can play like he did at the start of the season."

Marquinhos (PSG defender): "We had a good game against an opponent we respect. Neymar likes to be out there on the pitch, that's where he's happy. It's good that he's back, he's an important asset for the team. Mbappé's also a key player. We need to keep these kind of players happy. There aren't many in the world like him. We missed out on the Coupe de la Ligue and now we want the Coupe de France. Winning titles relieves us and gives us joy."

 Toulouse FC 0-0 LOSC 

Alain Casanova (Toulouse coach): "The point is just reward for the team's spirit. We defended very well in the second half when Lille pushed hard. Our collective efforts bore fruit. We perfectly respected the gameplan. We could have led in the first half but we are satisfied with the point."

Christophe Galtier (Lille coach): "I thought we lacked energy in the last 20-25 minutes. It's undoubtedly linked to coming down off a high after the previous weekend's win over PSG. I don't know whether this was a good or bad point. In the race for Europe every point is important. We still have 15 points to play for and nothing has been achieved yet, although I'd rather be in our position than Lyon's."

 FC Nantes 3-2 Amiens SC 

Vahid Halilhodzic (Nantes coach): "Not only we did win, we also played some good football, especially from an attacking point of view. Still, we conceded two goals and there was a little bit of panic there in a game we'd led 3-0. We've achieved the number one thing of staying up and when I joined we were 19th. We could have dreamed of even more and had an exceptional season but it mustn't be my year."

Christophe Pelissier (Amiens coach): "The first 15 minutes of the second half killed us off. It's impossible to claim points and win when you concede three goals in 15 minutes. We reacted well with four attacks after that. Nobody's going to gift us survival and we'll have to earn it. We had gone seven matches without defeat and that gave us some air. We now need five more points to ensure we stay up. Our destiny is in our own hands."

 Stade de Reims 0-2 AS Saint-Etienne 

David Guion (Reims coach): "We came up against a very experienced team and we knew they were capable of punishing our mistakes; that's what they did. We were't clinical enough as we actually had more chances. The idea now is to stay near the top of the table. There are still 15 points to play for and we'll see what happens. What interests me now is the game at Angers."

Jean-Louis Gasset (Saint-Etienne coach): "We have 56 points and we're among the six or seven clubs who are targeting Europe. A lot of teams have lost here and Lille only managed a draw. We knew we'd have to put in a great game in order to get the three points. We were in control of the game from a technical standpoint and built from the back without any panic."

Saturday, April 20, 2019

 EA Guingamp 1-3 Olympique de Marseille 

Jocelyn Gourvennec (Guingamp coach): "It is not a good evening because we did not take a point. Each side had a half where they were on top. We started badly but were much better in the second half, got back into it and should have got back to 2-2. There was nothing in it."

Rudi Garcia (Marseille coach): "We controlled the game in the first half and were clinical. That is important, especially away from home. Then we had a 20-minute spell in the second half where there was no movement when we had the ball, where we didn't make the effort defensively when we lost it, and Guingamp came back into the game. After that we got our balance back as a team and the substitutions did us good. Three goals away from home, three points, and now we can watch in peace to see the other results."

 OGC Nice 0-1 SM Caen 

Patrick Vieira (Nice coach): "We are very frustrated. We played well but we made too many bad decisions in the final third. The penalty could have changed the match. It is a match that sums up our season. We played good football overall. This defeat makes it more difficult for us in terms of getting into Europe."

Fabien Mercadal (Caen coach): "We are aware that not everything is perfect, but the boys showed desire and showed that they want the club to survive. Now we play Dijon and Guingamp, the teams against whom we are fighting to stay up. We have the chance to go above Dijon with a win. It is up to us to show we are capable of doing it. Brice Samba? It is important to have a good goalkeeper. I have said that before."

 Nîmes Olympique 2-1 Girondins de Bordeaux 

Bernard Blaquart (Nîmes coach): "It was not a great match, but we are delighted with where we are in the table. Again we never gave up. We didn't control the game, we suffered, and Bordeaux posed us problems tactically. We couldn't respond to what they proposed, but we hung in there and we carry on our way. We needed a few breaks to win the game but it was not undeserved. Bordeaux deserve to be higher up the table than they are."

Paulo Sousa (Bordeaux coach): "We had the possession, we had chances, but we needed to be more aggressive to win this match. That is fundamental if we are to improve the mentality here and create a winning culture. Nîmes were more aggressive in the challenges and were better at dead balls, but we were the better team. We are disappointed. We should have won the match, with the free-kick from Nicolas (De Préville) and then the shot by Otávio against the post."

 RC Strasbourg Alsace 1-3 Montpellier Hérault SC 

Thierry Laurey (Strasbourg coach): "We made things difficult for ourselves. We were up against a very good side, but if you don't do what is asked of you, you end up just doing any old rubbish. They scored two goals but did not have any other chances. Everything disappointed me tonight. I am disappointed with myself as well. It was hard enough with 11, but when we were down to 10 (after Prcic went off injured with all three changes having been made), if you continue to make mistakes, it becomes very difficult."

Michel Der Zakarian (Montpellier coach): "We decided to press them high in order to dominate the game. It worked well and we were clinical in the first half. It was a great performance from beginning to end. We defended well. We have five finals left. If we play with the same intensity and the same desire as today, we could be difficult to beat. We are thinking about Europe. We have got some colour back in recent weeks. We need to go into the final games without fear because we are having a great seasons. Nothing is done yet, it's very tight."

Friday. April 19, 2019

 Olympique Lyonnais 2-1 Angers SCO 

Bruno Genesio (Lyon coach): "We needed to end our bad run and that's never easy. We played well even if I regret the fact we didn't kill the game off by scoring a third goal that would have made the end of the game easy. I asked the players to run, play simply and make themselves available. I also wanted to see a team united despite our difficulties and that's what I saw. I saw some really good things in the way we played and in transitions."

Stéphane Moulin (Angers coach): "We deserved to lose. Lyon had taken on board the lessons from what they'd been through of late. We could have lost by more but we fought right until the end. The regret is that we didn't score earlier as that might have affected their confidence. If we'd played against the Lyon that had lost to Dijon then we would have had a chance. Tonight we weren't up against the Lyon that beat Manchester City, but Lyon were very good."

 Dijon FCO 3-2 Stade Rennais FC 

Antoine Kombouaré (Dijon coach): "I'm very proud of my players. This win does us a lot of good and it puts pressure on Guingamp and Caen. I saw a team that was very strong mentally. We led twice and they came back both times but my team pushed on for the win. We also played with quality against a Rennes side that played well in the second half. It's far from over and there are still five matches to play but at least we consolidated our 18th place."

Julien Stéphan (Rennes coach): "There's a lot f disappointment, frustration and anger. We were catastrophic on every level in the first half but a bit better in the second. We've a Coupe de France final to plat against Paris Saint-Germain and if we play the way we did here then it's going to hurt. We fought so that the final wouldn't be too present in the players' minds. We have gone six league games without a win and that's not good. Well done to Dijon who did what they needed to do to win."