Three days after its defeat (0-1) against Bayern in the final of the Champions League, PSG has the opportunity to find - a little - the smile thanks to its female team. Still in contention in their Final 8, organized in the Spanish Basque Country in the same format as in Lisbon, after their success (2-1) in front of Arsenal in the quarter-finals, the Parisians will in turn try to reach the final and win their first star on Sunday in San Sebastián.
For this, they will have to defeat their great rivals and pet peeves of OL, six-time winner of the event (including the last four editions) this Wednesday (8 p.m., live on Canal + and BeIN Sports 1) at the San stadium. Mames from Bilbao. On August 9, OL again gained the upper hand after a penalty shootout in the Coupe de France final in Auxerre. This Tuesday at a press conference, where only questions relating to girls were allowed, the Parisian coach Olivier Echouafni considered his team capable of finally overthrowing the mountain.
This is your fourth encounter with OL this season. You lost the first three. How to finally succeed in beating them?
OLIVIER ECHOUAFNI. It's a completely different showdown from the others because it's the Champions League. We approach it with great concentration and determination. We want to do a good performance.
Is your status as an outsider taking a load off you?
All counters are reset. We know that these are always difficult, complicated matches. It is quite logical that OL are favorites, it is the defending champion and they have won it four times in a row. The Lyonnaises have a lot of experience, but we've been working very well for some time too. We feel ready and we will be present.
Do you feel that the gap is narrowing and that it can tip over on your side?
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This is the big question that everyone is asking, that everyone is asking us. We try to work in stages. Our group has reached a milestone in terms of maturity and automatism in the game. The players are able to let go collectively and individually, like Marie (Editor's note: Marie-Antoinette Katoto) . He was criticized for not being decisive in big games. She showed against Arsenal (Editor's note: a goal and an assist) that she had also taken a step forward. We are able to pose problems for Lyon and put them in difficulty.
Does Lyon have a psychological advantage after their cup victory?
Not necessarily. It's a whole other competition. The Champions League requires a lot of pace, intensity. We prepared well. Despite this defeat, everything helps us in our learning. We know that Lyon is a great team, with players who have lived and a strong experience, who regularly play high level matches. But we are there too. We learn at the same time. We try not to repeat the same mistakes and to rely on the positive.
How did you deal with the excitement after qualifying against Arsenal?
There was joy, but it wasn't necessarily excessive. The girls were already in the next lens. The hardest part was getting into the tournament. Now that it's done and that we have qualified, we will have to stay there.
How did you judge the performance of your Swiss rookie Ramona Bachmann against Arsenal?
We are very happy to have him with us. She is a talented player with technical qualities and experience. She is able to take depth, to dribble, to put madness in our game. This is perhaps what we have been lacking in recent years. It is gaining momentum but it still has room for improvement.
