Paris Saint-Germain captain, Marquinhos, has acknowledged the threat posed by Arsenal ahead of Saturday’s UEFA Champions League final, insisting that the French champions are fully aware of the Premier League side’s qualities.
The experienced defender admitted that Arsenal have developed into a formidable team and stressed that PSG must be prepared for every possible scenario in the highly anticipated showdown.
“We’ve played them a few times over the last few years, and we know what their strengths are,” Marquinhos said.
“We know how difficult it is to face this Arsenal team. We can’t know what will happen during the match, and what could be the deciding moment. We need to be ready for anything.”
The Brazilian also highlighted PSG’s resilience throughout the campaign, noting that the team has repeatedly found solutions when faced with difficult opponents.
“Whatever the opponent this season, whether it was against Liverpool, Chelsea, or Bayern Munich, there were times where they made it difficult for us. We managed to step up and adapt to what was needed. In a final, we’ll need to be decisive when it comes to the details.”
Speaking on PSG’s mindset heading into another Champions League final, Marquinhos said the squad remains focused despite last season’s emphatic 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in the competition’s showpiece.
“It’s the same feeling, the same motivation. Even if we’ve already experienced it, we’re human beings. These are important matches, they’re difficult moments, there’s a lot going on around them.”
“Last season’s approach was to try and manage everything that’s going on around the match, everything concerning the pressure. We’re not going to change anything, we’re going to keep working as we’ve been doing until now and keep the motivation that we had last year.”
PSG will be making their third appearance in the Champions League final, while Arsenal are featuring in only their second.
The French champions are also aiming to become the first club since Real Madrid to successfully defend the Champions League crown.
