PSG vs Monaco - Tuchel demands strong reaction to setbacks from procrastinating PSG

Posted Sunday, April 21, 2019 by PA

Paris St Germain boss Thomas Tuchel expects a reaction from his players to missed opportunities when Monaco visit the Parc des Princes on Sunday.

PSG boasted a 20-point lead at the top of the table and had the chance to wrap up the title as early as two weeks ago but have failed to win any of their last three matches, drawing with Strasbourg and losing 5-1 to second-placed Lille and then Nantes, 3-2.

Tuchel could be boosted by the highly-anticipated return of Neymar – the Brazilian has returned to training and will be assessed before a decision is made for the Monaco tie.

“We have to show that we’re able to get out of this situation and win the title,” Tuchel told psg.fr. “It’s not the moment to focus on the Lille result but instead to focus on ourselves.

“I expect a reaction from us against Monaco, a good performance, and that we show an attitude that matches our ambitions.

“On Sunday it’ll be vital to show our hunger to win and that we can play as a team.”

PSG will be without the trio of Juan Bernat, Thomas Meunier and Thiago Silva for the match, with a number of players, including Neymar, Edinson Cavani and Julian Draxler, still to be assessed.

Tuchel said the goal was to have a strong squad for the upcoming two matches, against Monaco and then the Coupe de France final against Rennes on April 27.

On Neymar, the German manager added: “The most important thing with Neymar is that he feels free on the pitch, happy to play without fear, and that he’s protected by the referee too.

“I honestly hope that after this injury he’ll keep his passion for the game, because he’s a special player; everyone comes to the stadium to see him play.

“He likes challenges, that’s his style and perhaps we’ll see him on Sunday.”

Monaco manger Leonardo Jardim wants his side to play their usual game in Paris as they look to move further away from the relegation zone.

Jardim told asmonaco.com: “After this game, we will have five more games to play and I hope my team will continue to get the points we need to keep us going – we have to clench our teeth and push our limits.

“In the last three games, we missed a lot of chances. In Paris, we will show the ambition to play our game. Let’s not change our identity for this game as the players must work to be more efficient in the small spaces.”