Mauricio Pochettino says PSG will attack Real Madrid in Champions League clash: ‘We cannot think about defeat’

Paris Saint-Germain head coach Mauricio Pochettino is not planning on sitting back on Wednesday in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg clash with Real Madrid as the French giants arrive with a one-goal lead thanks to Kylian Mbappe (You can catch the match on CBS and Paramount+).

The Argentine believes that his team cannot look to defend their lead and must go out looking to kill the tie off to avoid Real potentially getting back into it at Santiago Bernabeu.

“The best way to defend a lead for a team like PSG is to attack and dominate,” Pochettino said at his press conference. “We were able to do it at home, but Wednesday will be more complicated. That is not just the injuries, but it is like a final and will be very demanding. We must approach the second leg the way that we did the first.”

There was no indication whether former Real man Keylor Navas would be preferred over Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal while Pochettino was irritated with the negative tone of questioning ahead of the showdown.

“I have already spoken about the goalkeepers so many times,” he said. “We are lucky to have two great goalkeepers at PSG because I wanted to do it and the club did it. We have two top goalkeepers. One will play and the other will sit. There will be disappointment and criticism, but we are happy with how we have managed this until March. It is positive to have two goalkeepers of this quality.

“We doubt all the time and we only talk about the negatives when Real were positive. In soccer, you can win or lose. We are competitive. We cannot think about defeat — we think positively. It is a decisive match — a final.

“The media in Madrid are talking about qualifying. We won the first leg and need to stay in front. We respect Real and their players — it is no coincidence they have won 13 Champions League titles. We are not afraid, though. We know that we must put in a serious performance. This is the competition that any player, staff member, or club would like to win. We will try to qualify.”

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Pochettino is not expecting Real to change their style despite the absences of Ferland Mendy, Casemiro and potentially Toni Kroos too.

“Real will not change the way they play apart from injured or suspended players,” said the PSG tactician. “The game philosophy is the same. We know each other well and have seen all their matches as they have ours. We must have intensity and fight to control the ball to stay away from our area.

“I have lots of leaders on the pitch. As Neymar said, all the players want to play in and win these games. I am confident in my players — they are talented and can make the difference. We have good individuals and great players who can create and make the difference.”

Neymar himself pinpointed compatriot Casemiro’s absence as a big bonus for PSG and looked back on previous experiences with Real fondly from his Barcelona days but also when Los Blancos tried to sign him as a youngster.

“It will not be easy as Real have many quality players,” said the Brazilian. “For me, Casemiro is the best player in his position. For us, it is the same and we must play the same way. Maybe it will be more difficult for them, but it is good for us that he is not there.

“PSG and Real is always 50-50 and there are no favorites — two strong teams. We have a 1-0 advantage, but we must think about winning and playing even better than in Paris.

“I have lots of good memories. I scored goals and provided assists. Playing here is always special and not only for me. It is a special game for Leo (Messi) too as we played for Barca. It is special for Sergio (Ramos) too, who is with us and was at home here. We are motivated. We want to play well and make PSG history.”

You can follow the action from Santiago Bernabeu through our Paramount+ coverage.