An experienced member of the locker room, Aïssa Mandi appeared at a press conference this Monday, the day before the Champions League clash between LOSC and Liverpool (9 p.m.). The Algerian international, with his words, introduced this duel worthy of the Top 8.
How did you prepare for this match?
We prepared very calmly with a lot of confidence, humility and ambition.
You’ve already had some great performances, against Real Madrid or Atlético, but where do Liverpool stand in all that?
I think they are the fittest team in Europe, first in the Champions League, first in the Premier League, first everywhere. Plus, they’re at home. What is certain is that it is a big test for us.
Following these successes, LOSC is a little more anticipated, you can no longer benefit from the surprise effect. What does that change for you?
Absolutely nothing, it’s a question that we need to ask our opponent, but for our part we prepared for the match in the same way as those against Real, Juventus, Atlético de Madrid. It’s always the same preparation.
How to defend against Liverpool? Have you trained specifically for the qualities of your next opponents?
We prepare ourselves physically and mentally to be as efficient as possible. We obviously worked on things, but it’s not fair against Liverpool. This is the fate of all matches. Depending on the profile of the attackers and where I play, it will not be the same demands. We do the work with the staff. It’s a bit different, but it’s not unique to the Liverpool team. All the teams have varied profiles today.
Liverpool, is it a bigger challenge than that of Real Madrid?
-I think it’s of the same caliber as Real Madrid, who had just won the Champions League. It’s the same. This is also the case with Atlético de Madrid. It’s the same for us.
You remain in a week out of time, with two consecutive successes. Isn’t this the perfect moment, with plenty of confidence, to face Liverpool?
We have full confidence, it’s true. We have a lot of confidence, a lot of ambition, but I don’t know if there can be a perfect moment to play against Liverpool. What is certain is that we feel good.
You will set foot on the Anfield pitch. What does this do to you?
It’s a special atmosphere, one of the most beautiful atmospheres in Europe. Ever since we were little, this is the kind of match we want to play, in the Champions League, against Liverpool, a very great team. We have been preparing for a long time to play this match.
You remain on an unbeaten streak of 21 matches (TTC), is this a source of motivation for you?
There is no challenge, but obviously we talk about it. We’re not going to hide. We will try to be undefeated as long as possible. We give ourselves the means every day, we work for that every day. There is no challenge between us. We believe in our team. We have never played with the same eleven, everyone is involved, focused on the same objective. We have a good, solid group that is capable of great performances.
View publisher’s imprintShare this article
