The women's section of PSG is preparing to experience a crazy end to the season. A Coupe de France final scheduled for May 4, D1 Arkema playoffs in mid-May... But first, time for the Champions League semi-finals against Olympique Lyonnais with a first leg scheduled for this Saturday in front of 35,000 spectators at Groupama Stadium (7 p.m.). “We are aware of the issues,” smiles Marie-Antoinette Katoto this Friday at a press conference. We gave ourselves the chance to dream very big. We will do everything to show that this season is fantastic. »
“We have to forget the past and focus on ourselves”
“We have to keep this momentum,” continues Jocelyn Prêcheur. Before specifying: “We haven’t won anything yet. I can't say that the season is successful at the moment. At the risk of sounding pretentious, when you come to PSG, the objective is to win something. The girls did an outstanding job in every match. We are treating ourselves to an exciting end to the season. That's why we work. » With success since the capital club has been undefeated for 24 matches, in all competitions.
But the hardest part comes against the best enemy for the 7th European confrontation between PSG and OL since 2014. “We have to forget the past and concentrate on ourselves, that each of the players masters their part,” asks the coach. We know their strengths, they have experience of these meetings, with a slightly larger squad than ours. But we also have our qualities. You have to go there with conviction and, above all, not respect them too much. »
For Marie-Antoinette Katoto, the memory of the last Champions League semi-final (spring 2022) against Lyon remains firmly attached. “We had given a lot of gifts, a lot of gifts,” she regrets. You have to have a taste for effort, a taste for giving your all. The return match will also be important for us and I hope that we will bring people (to the Parc des Princes). » PSG is experiencing great emotions this season, also thanks to the men's journey in Europe, flamboyant winners of FC Barcelona and qualified for the semi-finals.
“We are very happy with the boys’ qualification,” congratulates Marie-Antoinette Katoto. We are behind them, like any PSG team. It's a plus that we're all together on Campus. We spend more time there. We hope to have a good season for the club. We gave a lot. » What if it was finally the good year for men, like women?