Nuno Mendes has enjoyed the season of his life in the French capital with a young group that has gone above and beyond for Paris Saint-Germain. They might be undercooked for their test against Tottenham Hotspur, but the 23-year-old is sure the group are "going to just play the football that we play."
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‘It’s up to the coach’
The Parisians come into this fixture in a strange scenario. They faced Chelsea in the Club World Cup final in the middle of July, six weeks after the season would have ended with the Champions League final. The Blues played a pair of preseason fixtures at the end of last week, but PSG have only been working at base camp for the last seven days and are entering this showdown completely cold.
However, PSG needed a break, and even if they are not match sharp, they have the hunger to succeed.
“We knew it would be a very long season for us. We tried to do everything to ensure we're on our best form. We've been working on our cardio. We’re up against a great side and this is what we're hoping to be able to do and tomorrow. I think we're ready. We're going to just play the football that we play.”
Spurs have played six times in the last month, getting to grips with the demands of Thomas Frank. They will be much better prepared physically, but it is a challenge the left back is eager to take on.
“I think physically we know that we're maybe not as fresh as we would like to be. Mentally, we're all coming back off holiday. We're going to try and focus on the game. It's our first game for the season and what we do what we do day in day out. We try and ensure that we're ready to give everything.”
The 23-year-old is one of nine men in the PSG squad who were nominated for the Ballon d'Or last week. In years past, it might have been a matter that burned bridges in the locker room. But the number of nominees indicates that the team have learned to put the group's goals at the forefront.
“No, I think everyone's focused on the game. On a personal note, I've got a clear head. My teammates do as well, what's important for us is to win the game and to take that UEFA Super Cup back home.”
Luis Enrique has done a sterling job of managing the big egos in the French capital. Upon his arrival, he let go of Neymar and Lionel Messi, two-thirds of his historic front three at Barcelona, and he had no problems parting ways with Kylian Mbappe last summer for a free transfer to Real Madrid.
Now, it looks like Gianluigi Donnarumma is about to exit the club.. He was stalling on a renewal of the five-year deal he signed in 2021, and the board refused to bow to the whim of their players. No matter what Mendes feels about the goalkeeper, he is first focused on working with the collective.
“We get the job done. Our job is to train. We do everything to make sure that we're part of the squad, but it's up to the coach to decide which players are ready for the game. I'm doing what I need to do.”
There have been three arrivals this summer. Renato Marin arrived from Roma to become a backup goalkeeper, and Lucas Chevalier came in last week from Lille to be the new number one. At the start of this week, defender Illia Zabarnyi switched allegiances from Bournemouth for £57 million.
Not much time has passed for the Portuguese to get to know his new teammates. However, he has confidence that the newcomers can bed into the camp sooner rather than later and contribute.
“We don't haven't had enough time with them. I don't know what to say about them, but they've got off to a good start. They're happy. They're smiling. They're in the right state of mind and putting their best foot forward. I think that they're going to be of huge help this year, this season. That's what we need.”
