In the press conference ahead of his Lyon away game against Angers on Saturday afternoon, Laurent Blanc was notably asked about one of his former teams, Paris Saint-Germain, and their recent struggles.
Christophe Galtier’s men go into their Classique clash against Marseille on Sunday evening having lost three of their last four games in all competitions – including a Champions League last 16 first leg defeat to Bayern Munich and a Coupe de France loss against Marseille themselves, at the Stade Vélodrome.
Blanc, who managed the champions between 2013 and 2016, explained that PSG’s periodical drop in form, a “time of turbulence“, always comes in the midst of their Champions League campaigns. On the other hand, he praised the “total football, modern football” put in place at Marseille by his colleague Igor Tudor, pointing to the league’s second-placed side’s energy and consistency as factors that have seen them emerge as credible title challengers this season. The former France manager concluded that he would in any case be watching the top-of-the-table showdown, and that it would be an intriguing affair given the individual quality at PSG.