Although Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have knocked out Barcelona and holders Bayern Munich, coach Mauricio Pochettino said his team would keep their feet on the ground when they face Manchester City in their Champions League semi-final first leg on Wednesday.
Kylian Mbappé has shaken off a minor thigh injury and is fit to play. Mbappé came off with the injury near the end of PSG’s 3-1 win at Metz in the French league on Saturday. However, the 22-year-old will be in the squad for the match.
With all his best players at his disposal after Marquinhos and Marco Verratti made their return after missing most of the quarter-final clash against Bayern, PSG enter the tie full of confidence, but also with caution.
“I think City are one of the greatest teams and it will be as tough as against Bayern at least,” Pochettino told a news conference on Tuesday.
“Tougher? We’ll see. We’re confident but despite all the theories the most important things will be the 180 minutes on the pitch.”
Pochettino said his side’s loss to Bayern Munich in last season’s Champions League final would give them added motivation this time around.
“We now have the experience but we need to go step by step.”
“The club has grown, we are now among the top four, five or six teams across the leagues,” said Neymar, who despite not scoring produced a sterling performance in the return leg against Bayern.
“PSG now get the respect they deserve. We have all the qualities to put our hands on the trophy.”
Pochettino also said his City counterpart Pep Guardiola is the best coach in the world.
“For me, he is the best coach in the world,” Pochettino, who replaced Thomas Tuchel as PSG boss midway through the season, told British media.
“I admire him and think he is doing a fantastic job. He is an amazing coach, always thinking of different strategies and game plans. I love to challenge him and the teams he prepared.
“Not only the best manager. The club is important, too. A club that trusts you to build a team and provides you with all the tools.”
Words of wisdom
Guardiola, meanwhile, passed on some simple advice to his players from his late mentor Johan Cruyff: Enjoy yourselves.
“Enjoy the travel, the coffee in the terminal, the night and the dinner, watching the other semi-final, enjoy the press conference, the walk, the training,” Guardiola told reporters on Tuesday while describing Cruyff's philosophy.
“We are privileged to be one of the best four teams in Europe and we must enjoy it. Cruyff's idea was like this.”
Cruyff, who created Barcelona’s “Dream Team” with players such as Guardiola, led them to their first European Cup in 1992.
City last reached a semi-final in 2016 under Manuel Pellegrini, when they were knocked out by Real Madrid. Guardiola is hoping to go one step further.
“The best balance is to have the ball. If you have the ball all the time the balance is there,” Guardiola said.
“They have a lot of weapons. They’re used to playing teams who defend 90 minutes, they find a way. That’s not the best way to defend against the team who have everything.
“The best way is to impose your game like we have for five years.”
