PSG-MHSC: “It was going too fast for us”, “They were unlucky to come across us at our best”, post-match reactions

Bradley Barcola a fait très mal à la défense montpelliéraine. EPA – CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON

Un cauchemar et un constat implacable de la part de Michel Der Zakarian à l’issue de la plus lourde défaite du MHSC concédée devant le Paris SG (6-0) vendredi 23 août en ouverture de la deuxième journée de Ligue 1.

Montpellier

Michel Der Zakarian, MHSC coach: “Paris was much stronger than us. They dominated from start to finish. They went too fast for us in all areas. There is an adversity that is different from last week against Strasbourg. There is speed, power, there is everything. We were overwhelmed. We were not able to win the duels, to make them run. Conversely, Paris made us run. And we were too often late.

Paris is tactically stronger than us, technically and physically stronger than us. You can put in all the systems you want, if you don't win the duels… You can't win. And when you have the ball, you have to move, make good passes. It was going too fast for us in this match.

We can always do better in all areas. We have to help our partner. He (Tchato, marking Barcola) has to be closer, more aggressive. There's a world of difference between Paris and Montpellier today.

Tamari… I don't know… We'll see if there are any offers. It's the management that decides, it's not me.

Paris

Luis Enrique, PSG coach:“It was a perfect evening. For our return to the Parc, we played a very, very complete match, in attack as well as in defense. I try to convey to everyone what I feel as a coach, that is to say to be able to benefit from a very, very high level squad. We have to wait until the end of the season and see what the team has done to see the evolution. But I benefit at each training session from a very complete squad, very versatile and who really want to make history.

The result means that we were very superior. Montpellier was well organized, defended well, but when you meet a team in such a state… They were unlucky to meet us at our best.

Since I met Barcola, when he came to us last year, he has evolved enormously. He continues to be a very interesting player, with incredible speed, but he has a lot of qualities and does a very good job defensively. And I see that he is hungry and wants to become a better player. He can bring a lot to the club.

I think you didn't see one star but sixteen who came to defend the colors of Paris Saint-Germain. Sixteen stars in attack and sixteen stars in defense. That's what perfection is. That's what we're looking for.”