The reaction after Newcastle: “It was a game we could have played a lot better… We knew it would be a difficult game but we have to look forward. We are going to play a big match. It’s a very homogeneous group. We will have to have a good match, there will be great emotions. (…) Once again, we knew that it would be a complicated match against this team which is returning to the Champions League. We made mistakes there. The difference in C1 is the mistakes… You have to make as few of them as possible. Tomorrow (Wednesday), we will have to be concentrated as much as possible, not make mistakes and attack, our style of play is to attack and try to hurt AC Milan.

Room for improvement: “It’s a new challenge with a new coach this year. Everyone is playing very well, we are playing great football. We are very happy to have Luis Enrique and his staff. We play better and better every week. We have a lot of room for improvement. We always try to improve by playing our football.

Emotions before returning to AC Milan: “It will be a very special match for me, returning to Milan is a very strong emotion. However, I have to focus only on the match and keep my emotions in check. I feel very good here, in the big PSG family, as I did during my 8 years in Milan. I owe a lot to Milan, everything the club gave me I will always keep in my heart. But I feel very good in Paris. I found an incredible atmosphere here since the first day, the supporters welcomed me very well. I will give everything for PSG.

His progress: “I try to improve every day. I’ve always said that there are a lot of things I can improve on. I listen to my coach, I am available to the team. The goal is to progress and flourish every day. I remain a young player but I have more experience, that helps to prepare for matches and experience them in a different way. The kicking game? We must be able to do it and Luis Enrique is very keen on it, he is very happy with my progress. “I’m not focused on one thing in particular but I’m happy with what I’m doing, what the team is doing and how the team is trying to distribute the game.”

Mike Maignan: “He’s a fantastic goalkeeper, number 1 in the French team. I’m very happy for him. There is enormous mutual respect. I wish him good luck for the future and with the French team.”

Milan’s strengths: “It will be a complicated match. Their strength, beyond individualities, is their ability to be very compact. I know Stefano Pioli very well. He prepares matches very well. We prepared well for the meeting too, we feel ready for this big challenge. A favorite? There is no favorite, it’s a very balanced group. We focus on us. We just have to try to win every game and we’ll count it at the end.”

Turning point in the European season with these two matches against Milan: “These are two complicated matches, I don’t know if they will be decisive but they are very important. Milan is used to the European Cup. We will have to give the best of ourselves to try to win. We will first think about this first leg. We must not think about the double confrontation.

The relationship with Milan supporters: “It’s important to me to have a good relationship because I always gave my best until my last match. It’s normal that the criticism hits home a little… But I don’t have time to think about that. There may be an opportunity afterwards, but it’s a very difficult match, with a lot of emotion. I am focused on the match, so as not to be caught up in emotion. There will be a lot of joy in meeting my former teammates but I have to be focused.

What he misses about Italy: “At the beginning, it’s obviously a bit complicated… I have a lot of friends in Italy and Milan. Little by little, you get used to the environment and I feel very good here, I have friends here and I have learned the language.”

The difference between a good goalkeeper and a very good goalkeeper: “There are a lot of good goalkeepers. The difference is having your head on your shoulders. Everyone makes mistakes, even if you have to try to make them as few as possible, but the most important thing is to stay focused when you make one.”

Comments collected at a press conference