Nice vs Paris Saint Germain - PSG Defender Marquinhos expecting a different test
Posted Thursday, December 03, 2015 by PA
Paris St Germain expect a tougher examination in Nice - but most definitely a better result.
The Ligue 1 leaders saw their nine-game winning streak grind to a halt at Angers on Tuesday night as the promoted surprise package successfully nullified PSG's attacking outlets in a goalless draw.
Defender Marquinhos did not manage to get off the bench at the Stade Jean-Bouin but hopes to return against a Nice side who are second only to the capital club in the scoring charts.
The Brazilian told psg.fr: "It will be a different game from Tuesday's in Angers. That is not to say it will be an easy match, but just that the opposition will be different.
"Nice have quality players who can make a difference individually. We will therefore need to be careful and concentrate hard throughout.
"We are very effective defensively and we can count on some high-quality defenders... but we cannot reduce that to the work of just four players.
"Midfielders and strikers are also very valuable when it comes to defending."
Nice's last outing also ended goalless, with Lorient denying Les Aiglons the chance to reach fourth place in the table.
Boss Claude Puel is placing less emphasis on defence than Friday's opponents as his team have not found the back of the net since November 20.
He told L'Equipe: "The key to winning this game will be keeping control of the ball.
"We cannot just set out to defend against PSG - that would be suicidal."
Midfielder Mathieu Bodmer added: "We won't pass up the opportunity to give them a good game.
"Concentrating solely on defending... that's something we can't do.
"This is a match just like any other and there are three points at stake."
Bodmer managed to score for the south-coast outfit in last season's league meeting at the Allianz Riviera, but PSG would go on to win 3-1.
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