Coach, how are you feeling after this first victory?

Satisfaction, of course. We managed to bring an end to this poor run which we have been in for a while now. It wasn't easy. We lacked strength, players, but those that were here today perfectly fulfilled the roles we gave them.

The players coming on off the bench changed the face of the game…

I said to you a couple of days ago that I could feel a dynamic being created in this team, positive vibes and more than anything, huge determination before this match. I wasn't wrong. Now, just as they did after Rennes, matches will follow one after the other, so we won't start puffing out our chests just yet. It's just one win, other battles await us. We will enjoy it this evening and then quickly turn the page, because we have another match on Saturday (against Lyon, kick-off at 9pm at the Allianz Riviera). 

Winning in the end, with 10 against 11, can that be a building block for your side?

Definitely. We will do all we can in order to do so. But I felt in the dressing room that the players did what was needed to do so. We can feel the frustration lifting and the squad feeling more free. There is something that is happening in the squad, we will be very careful in order to keep it as these are very important things.

After all of these missed chances, was there an element of doubt?

I am not going to be overly brave: a coach always doubts. Doubt is necessary in this job. On the other hand, I was saying to myself that the team was creating chances, that was good. It was my message before the match: you need to create chances. The more we have, the more likelihood we have of taking them.

Did Morgan Schneiderlin's red card increase that doubt?

Yes and no. Yes because straight away, we needed to change and think about what we were doing. But I think that in those kind of moments, you need to stay calm and choose the best solutions. The problem that I had was to find the right solution, because we were lacking players. Dan Ndoye doesn't have the characteristics of a winger in this system, we needed to ask questions of ourselves in order to take the right decision. We were lucky to someone like Dan on the bench, we looked to him. He did what we asked of him and he brought relief to the whole team.

Despite the sending off of your only experienced player, this young group was able to show real character…

Yes. You already asked the question of me about Dante. We lost our leader, but maybe it's an opportunity for the young players to step up. They have a lot of character, I am with them every day. Now when they have the chance and the possibility to show that character, they need to take it. This evening, they did what was needed.

Reine-Adelaïde was involved in both goals this evening.

We know Jeff's ability. We know that he is capable of a pass to open things up, or of beating a player in a tight space thanks to his technique. A player is always what he is but we need to find a way of playing that allows him to express himself. That's what keeps me on my toes. That's the role of the coach.

This evening, the satisfaction is also with your defence, because Le Gym didn't concede.

I am happy because when Benitez concedes 1, 2, 3 goals, it's not pleasant for him. Today we have helped him to keep a clean sheet. It's great for our keeper but even more so for the team.

Will you see players return to your squad before Saturday?

Yes, we will get Atal back. Kasper? I had a conversation with him. It seems that he felt a pain overnight. We said that if a player isn't 100%, it's not worth including him in the squad. The team needs players to be at 100%. It saddens me for Kasper, we look forward to having him back with us as soon as possible.

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