A topsy-turvy journey.
The women's section of PSG is going through all the emotions in the group stage of the Champions League.
Traveling to Munich (Germany) this Tuesday evening (9 p.m.), she aims to maintain the smile displayed for several weeks thanks to a series of three victories in a row in European competition.
Now first in their group, the Parisians must at all costs avoid the only scenario synonymous with elimination: a defeat against Bayern combined with a success for Ajax Amsterdam, who host AS Roma at the same time.
Any other combination would qualify Jocelyn Prêcheur's players for the quarter-finals.
This is almost a miracle after two frustrating initial defeats at home against Munich (0-1) and the Netherlands against Ajax (2-0).
But thanks to convincing performances, including two at the Parc des Princes, against AS Rome (2-1; 3-1) and Ajax (3-1), Marie-Antoinette Katoto and her teammates raised their heads .
“We are in Munich to win,” says Jocelyn Prêcheur.
This mentality is our strength.
We were up against the wall in this competition and we had no choice.
But we must not change the mentality.
Let's keep this conquering state of mind that we took time to build.
We will see the appearance of the match and how we manage the end of the match.
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Katoto in great shape
Beyond qualification, first place in the group is at stake. A position which would make it possible to avoid the ogres Chelsea, Barcelona or Lyon in the quarter-finals.
But PSG does not want to calculate and it is rather right in view of the general dynamic since mid-December: 9 matches, 9 victories, 34 goals scored, all competitions combined.
The contrast with the first part is obvious: 13 matches, 7 victories, 2 draws, 4 defeats and only 24 goals scored.
“The word that comes up the most at the moment is pleasure,” smiles Élisa de Almeida, international defender.
For me as for the whole team, the dynamic is different and we see it in the results.
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Victories, smiles and goals.
A recipe applied to the letter by Marie-Antoinette Katoto, symbol of a collective more cheerful than ever.
With 10 goals scored in her last 8 matches, the best scorer in PSG history confirms her return to the highest level after two years marked by a serious injury to her right knee and a difficult convalescence.
“She had a lot of struggles but she never gave up,” congratulates Élisa de Almeida.
“She showed impressive work force and determination,” continues Jocelyn Prêcheur.
And his understanding with the other offensive elements (Sandy Baltimore, Lieke Martens or Tabitha Chawinga) is improving week after week.
“We are progressing, even against strong teams,” rejoices Jocelyn Prêcheur.
We worked a lot on the relationships between the players, the complementarity between the calls.
It needs to be done.
We have seen arrivals, the return of Marie, players repositioned like Lieke who is more central.
There was an adaptation and connection, automatisms to be created.
It doesn't happen overnight.
We are starting to reap the fruits of the work.
There is still some left but it is true that we have the feeling of having reached a level on the offensive level.
» A victory in Munich this Tuesday evening would confirm it.