(Reuters) – Paris St Germain have slightly eased the pressure on their shoulders after recovering from a stumble in their Ligue 1 campaign and claiming successive wins as they bid to retain their title, coach Christophe Galtier said on Friday.
PSG, who are six points clear of second-placed Lens with three games remaining this season, lost three out of four home games during a poor run in March and April including a 3-1 defeat by Lorient.
However, their bid to win a ninth French title in 11 years appears to be back on track after free-scoring displays against Ajaccio and Troyes in recent weeks.
“I’m not sure how much pressure there is on us, but I’m sure we’ll be able to get the points we need,” Galtier told reporters ahead of Sunday’s trip to 16th-placed Auxerre.
“The fact that we played a fairly successful match at Troyes and that we were able to win against Ajaccio last weekend, that takes the pressure off a little. But the players have been very serious in their work throughout the week.”
Galtier also bemoaned his side’s injury problems up front, highlighting PSG’s inability to consistently play their strongest attacking lineup of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.
Messi and Mbappe have both missed league games due to minor injuries, while Neymar has been ruled out for the rest of the season after ankle surgery in March.
“Concerning Messi, Mbappe and Neymar, as soon as I took over it was an objective to be able to associate them together,” Galtier said.
“Unfortunately, with the World Cup, injuries and fatigue, we were not able to take advantage of them throughout the season.
“Every time they were on the pitch, PSG were very good. We had a very interesting attacking game. But that’s part of a season.”
Brazilian defender Marquinhos, who has become a first-team regular since joining PSG in 2013 and was appointed captain in 2020, signed a long-term contract extension until 2028 on Friday.
Galtier hailed the announcement, adding, “he is one of the best central defenders in the world. He has been omnipresent for ten years.
“It’s a strong signal to everyone. PSG want to remain competitive.”
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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