Paris Saint Germain vs Nice preview - Blanc: PSG deserve more respect

Posted Friday, November 28, 2014 by PA

Paris St Germain coach Laurent Blanc is adamant his side deserve more respect than they have received this season.

Blanc's men trail Marseille by a point at the Ligue 1 summit but are unbeaten in all competitions all season and have won their last eight games in succession.

Third-placed Lyon are three points behind PSG, with Bordeaux and Nantes a further three adrift, but Blanc feels those teams have received more praise than his reigning two-time champions.

"I hear a lot about the league," Blanc told L'Equipe on Friday. "About Bordeaux, who are having an exceptional season; about Nantes, that the two best teams in the league play tonight (Marseille v Nantes).

"Looking at the table, PSG have more points than Lyon, Bordeaux and Nantes, so our season has not been so bad.

"There is only Marseille who have one point more than us, and they deserve it. But the Paris-Marseille game ended in a Parisian victory (2-0). So having one point more or less today..."

The two teams will meet again at the Stade Velodrome in April.

Nice provide Saturday's opposition for PSG and Blanc is ready to disappoint a friend in the opposite dugout.

"I know Claude Puel well and I like him a lot," he said. "He will bring his team to play in his usual style.

"We know they will want the three points. We respect this Nice team but we need the points.

"Claude will surely tell his players they have nothing to lose and that the best way to stop us is to play. We will see if they play tomorrow."

True to Blanc's supposition, Nice forward Alexy Bosetti has urged his side to go out feeling no pressure.

He told the club website: "We cannot go to the Parc as victims, we have nothing to lose.

"We have to concentrate on our game and not worry about them too much. We have to contest every challenge and show our togetherness. We have to be realistic and play at 200 per cent."

Carlos Eduardo is fit after a calf injury and Eric Bautheac and Lloyd Palun return from suspension but Mathieu Bodmer (ribs), Didier Digard and Mahamane Traore (both calf) miss out.

Marco Verratti is not quite ready to return in the Parisian midfield after injury but Thiago Motta and defender Thiago Silva are both available.