The Coupe de la Ligue final is now a mere two days away, with Paris Saint-Germain set to face Olympique Lyonnais in the tournament’s last ever fixture. PSG will look to notch yet another domestic treble with the win; Les Parisiens already clinched the Ligue 1 and Coupe de France titles this season.
The Coupe de France final against AS Saint-Etienne turned out to be a much tougher fixture than expected. In an exclusive interview with PSG TV, Leandro Paredes spoke about the challenge that Les Verts posed to the team.
“It was a very tough game but we knew it would be,” Paredes said. “It was a real test, especially physically, but also because it was our first official match in three months. But we got the result we wanted and we won the Coupe de France, and that’s the most important thing.”
Paredes and PSG played the final in abnormal conditions. Typically, the Stade de France is filled with supporters from both teams along with key figures from within France. But due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, only 5,000 total spectators were allowed inside for the fixture. Paredes talked about what it was like to play in an almost empty stadium.
“It’s very hard to get used to… almost impossible,” Paredes said. “It’s a very difficult situation, but not only for us. It’s just as hard for the supporters, for everyone that loves football.”
Paredes knows that the final against Lyon will be yet another challenge for Les Parisiens.
“They are a very strong side with many talented players,” Paredes said. “We all hope to be in top form and that it will be an entertaining final. I know their coach very well and he will do everything to cause us problems so we have to be ready to play our best and focus on our own football.”
A win for PSG in the final will give Paredes trophy number five in his current tenure with the club.
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