PSG/OM – Benatia: "gutted, dejected, but still full of ambition"

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·9 January 2026

PSG/OM – Benatia: "gutted, dejected, but still full of ambition"

This Thursday, as part of the 2025 Trophée des Champions, Paris Saint-Germain faced Olympique de Marseille in Kuwait. Medhi Benatia, Marseille's football director, stopped in the mixed zone after Paris's victory in the penalty shootout (2-2, then 4-1 on penalties, PSG/OM video summary). He was between pride and frustration.

Benatia "You don't play this match against PSG if you don't have a great team and a great coach."

"I feel a lot of pride for the players and the coach. For me, there is no coincidence. You don't play this match against PSG if you don't have a great team and a great coach. Paris is the best team in Europe, we won't take that away from them. We lacked a bit of luck, we had many chances in the first half. It's been a long time since (Lucas) Chevalier was so decisive.

Benatia "We could also have been more cunning, smarter at the end"

We could also have been more cunning, smarter at the end, even scoring the third goal. For a year and a half, we have often had positive results but we haven't always seen the game the coach desires. This (Thursday) evening, in terms of play, performance, we saw a very beautiful team on the field that always tried to find the solution. I leave this match disgusted, despondent, but with a lot of ambitions for the future.", comments relayed by L'Equipe.

Obviously, the Marseillais can be frustrated as they were moments away from a trophy. Which would have been, moreover, won against the great rival and at the end of an interesting performance. There were misses, but also several very good phases. Which reinforces the disappointment.

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OM will need to use the positives to seek more consistency and learn to take a step forward. It can be noted that PSG is still fatigued, which was quite visible in the pressing and some duels, but that is not everything. Marseille was a good opponent.

While ultimately being surpassed on essential points, such as managing while leading at the end of the match. Or efficiency, with Paris being devilish in the final moments of the match. The mission for Marseille must be to digest and display the same energy in matches against less "attractive" opponents. While Paris could see that there is still work to be done to return to full form. Even if the foundation remains solid, since the title is won.

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