Chelsea/PSG – Marquinhos on belief, defending and Safonov’s impact | OneFootball

Marquinhos, 31-year-old central defender and captain of Paris Saint-Germain, stopped in the mixed zone after Paris’s 0-3 victory against Chelsea (video highlights Chelsea/PSG, 8-2 on aggregate, quarter-final to be played against Liverpool or Galatasaray) this Tuesday at Stamford Bridge as part of the second leg of the Champions League 2025-2026 Round of 16 (return leg on March 17). 

Marquinhos: “We are a team that is always hungry.”

A qualification that feels good?

It’s often said that football is very dynamic; we can’t let ourselves relax after what we’ve won in the past. There are always things to improve, things to go after. You always have to be hungry in football. That’s why we showed again today that we are a team that is always hungry.

That’s how we need to keep going, in this positive direction, with this regained confidence. When you get it back, you have to keep going in that direction—it’s hard to have it at this level. Important things are coming up, so it’s important to keep playing at this level. The whole team needs to be like this so we can go after even greater things.

Marquinhos: “It’s great to see my team defend like that.”

What pleased you most tonight?

As a defender, what pleases me most is not conceding any goals. We know it’s difficult; it requires collective work from the whole team. We did that today. In the first leg, we did well too, but something was still missing. We struggled on the last line.

Today, I think even when they broke through our pressing, we quickly got back to help and create two-on-ones. We were stronger. That’s what helps us win like this. We have to keep going like this. That’s how we won last year—by being competitive. It’s great to see my team defend like that.

Marquinhos: “It’s very important to have a goalkeeper who can handle the pressure, who wins duels and gives that assurance.”

Does Safonov bring calmness?

It’s very important to have a goalkeeper who can handle the pressure, who wins duels and gives that assurance. Safonov has shown that he is a great goalkeeper. That’s what top-level football is like; all the teams that go all the way have had a goalkeeper who saves them when needed. They managed to get through a few times and he was very solid. It’s important to have a goalkeeper who gives that kind of reassurance. We have some great goalkeepers. It’s important; we know that no matter who plays, they’ll be there.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.