|
Paris Saint-Germain coach Unai Emery was happy his players returned to action in style with a 6-1 thrashing of Rennes in the Coupe de France at Roazhon Park on Sunday after the team's winter break. Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Angel Di Maria each scored twice as the three-time defending champions ran riot in Brittany, but Emery still had to watch Thiago Motta last just seven minutes before having to come off injured. "The most important thing was to maintain our high level of performance and dominance of the match," Emery told Eurosport after the final whistle. "We did not want to concede many chances. We returned in style in this game. With this mentality, it is very difficult to beat us. "Tactics? We are working hard each match. Thiago [Motta]? He is a very important player of ours. He suffered a small pain in his calf, so we will see what the doctor says. Our midfielders? They are all essential. "Lassana Diarra? You need to ask [sporting director] Antero [Henrique]. He is a player that I know very well, though. I think everybody does! He has always been very powerful." Mbappe added two assists to his pair of goals and the France international, who has only just turned 19, promised there is more to come from him and his teammates over the next six months. "The coach told us to kill the match as quickly as possible," Mbappe told Europsort. "We wanted to respect our opponents by scoring as many goals as we could. The squad is doing well and we all want to play together. We are competitors and we all want to win. "The next six months will be more exciting than the first six have been [since joining from Monaco]. We want to win the Ligue 1 title as quickly as we can and then focus on the cups. "Thiago's [Silva] assist? It is with this sort of move that you see players of great class. Neymar? When he gets on the pitch, he is a killer! He has shown that ever since the beginning of his career." Captain Thiago Silva set up Mbappe for PSG's opener and the Brazil international was delighted by he and his teammates' ability to perform at such a high level so soon after the winter break. "We followed the instructions the coach gave us," Silva told Eurosport. "We went 10 days without a match, which is always very difficult. However, everybody gave the maximum on the pitch. "We played well, like we did in Ligue 1 [in Rennes]. I want to congratulate everybody. We worked as a team, together. "The next six months will be very important for us and for the club -- we are aware of our responsibilities." Kevin Trapp was given a chance to impress in goal and made one good save early in the second half but could do little to keep out Benjamin Bourigeaud's penalty for Rennes' consolation goal. "We had 10 days of holiday," Trapp told Eurosport. "Obviously, this did us the world of good. From the first few minutes, we were very concentrated. "Neymar? There are few words left to describe him. He has enormous qualities. Even in training, it is difficult to stop him. He is an exceptional player and he helps us plenty. "My performance? The first half was very quiet because of our excellent start. The second half was different. We occasionally lacked a bit of aggression. I am always annoyed when I concede a goal. However, it was still an excellent display from us. "The World Cup? It is an aim of mine but there are five very important months left. We will see at the end of the season but I want to be at my best during each game." Next up for PSG is a Coupe de la Ligue quarterfinal away at Amiens on Wednesday before a trip to Nantes in Ligue 1 on Sunday.
|
