On the eve of the semi-final second leg of the Women’s Champions League against OL, who won 3-2 in the first leg, PSG assures, through the voice of its coach Ollé-Nicolle and its captain Geyoro, that the dismissal of Hamraoui and the errors of Votikova are not rhédibitoires for the qualification.
Between the 3-2 defeat in the first leg, the harmful errors of Barbora Votíková, the aftermath of the altercation between Kheira Hamraoui and Sandy Baltimore in training, Paris Saint-Germain are certainly facing a difficult context for their half- Women’s Champions League second leg final against Olympique Lyonnais (Saturday 9 p.m.). Parisian coach Didier Ollé-Nicolle and captain Grace Geyoro nevertheless took advantage of the press conference to play down anything that could harm a reversal of the situation at the Parc des Princes.
“Despite everything, the team was consistent in Lyon. We stayed on this Lyon match to win all the positive waves,” said Didier Ollé-Nicolle on Friday, convinced that the dismissal of Kheira Hamraoui constitutes a non-subject. “In all teams, a player is missing in a key moment, he believes. I experienced it as a coach: a player can be injured the day before in training. It’s like that. (…) In difficult times, the team braced itself and we found the resources for qualification”.
“We demonstrated it over several matches, abounded Grace Geyoro. Despite everything that happened, we managed to weld together. We went to draw this strength. We lived through a year that was not easy for us. But we stayed strong in the head and focused on our goals. That’s what made the difference.” The midfielder thus underlines that Sandy Baltimore, whose contract extension was agreed between the two games against OL, and therefore after his clash with Hamraoui, “stayed focused” despite these events which “affected” her. .
“Don’t forget to play”
“Tomorrow is a decisive match, resumed Ollé-Nicolle. We have to win the match. We are at home. Whatever happens, we are in the position we wanted. It will be a match of determination and talent. We must not forget to play. We only talk about football. Our team is capable, collectively, of doing better than in Lyon. We must focus on collective quality and the game ” .
About his goalkeeper, the Czech Barbora Votíková, guilty in particular of a blunder on Lyon’s third goal in the first leg, the Parisian coach gave a very quiet speech: “She must not be too revengeful. It’s a position where we need serenity. Bara, we’ve been working together for ten months, she’s been playing interesting matches with us. She’s saved us many times. She’s been decisive in matches tight. We put a little excitement on two or three situations. The week passed as logically as possible. The accident of course is part of the game “.
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