Paris Saint-Germain defender Marquinhos
believes that Laurent Blanc’s team this season is the strongest the club
has had since the Qatari takeover in 2011 and they now have the
quality, experience and players to close in on their main objective of
winning the Champions League.
The current Ligue 1 champions travel to
Stamford Bridge tonight for the second-leg of their round of 16
encounter against Chelsea with a 2-1 lead on aggregate secured in the
first leg of the tie.
However, the 21-year-old Brazil international says that he is under no illusions as to the challenge ahead of them, regardless of their one goal advantage.
“We are talking about a special tournament,” Marquinhos told Squawka. “It’s very hard to go all the way and win the Champions League. I think it doesn’t get more difficult than that.
“That’s why the experience you have in this particular competition plays its part as well.”
However, the 21-year-old Brazil international says that he is under no illusions as to the challenge ahead of them, regardless of their one goal advantage.
“We are talking about a special tournament,” Marquinhos told Squawka. “It’s very hard to go all the way and win the Champions League. I think it doesn’t get more difficult than that.
“That’s why the experience you have in this particular competition plays its part as well.”
After a four-year absence from Europe’s
elite club competition, PSG have reached the quarter-finals of the
Champions League in each of the last three seasons and will be looking
to continue that run by progressing past Guus Hiddink’s Chelsea, as they
did against Jose Mourinho’s team on away goals in 2015.
A 1-1 draw at the Parc des Princes followed by a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge was enough for Blanc and his players last term.
This season, though, they have already bettered their performance in last year’s Champions League campaign against similar opposition.
Although they again finished behind Real Madrid in the group stages, they did so scoring 12 goals and conceding just one compared with their record of 10 scored and seven conceded in 2014/15.
This season, though, they have already bettered their performance in last year’s Champions League campaign against similar opposition.
Although they again finished behind Real Madrid in the group stages, they did so scoring 12 goals and conceding just one compared with their record of 10 scored and seven conceded in 2014/15.
Rather than drawing with Chelsea in
their first leg clash at home, they managed to win, and are now
favourites to win the tie against the Blues.
Marquinhos believes his team’s progress has come from the lessons that have been learned and experiences gained from the past four seasons of European competition, as well as the arrival of potential match-winners such as former Champions League-winner Angel Di Maria.
“I think PSG have a better knowledge of how to play it,” said the Brazilian. “We are better than the last year, when we were better than the previous season. We have a very good squad and all of us want to make this dream of winning the Champions League come true.”
Marquinhos believes his team’s progress has come from the lessons that have been learned and experiences gained from the past four seasons of European competition, as well as the arrival of potential match-winners such as former Champions League-winner Angel Di Maria.
“I think PSG have a better knowledge of how to play it,” said the Brazilian. “We are better than the last year, when we were better than the previous season. We have a very good squad and all of us want to make this dream of winning the Champions League come true.”
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