Kounde talks Mbappe, Dembele, Lamine, Cubarsi, Fermin ahead of PSG vs Barcelona
Jules Kounde accompanied Xavi Hernandez in Barcelona’s pre-match press conference for tomorrow’s big game against Paris Saint-Germain.
It promises to be the most important game of the season for Barça as they look to gain an early advantage heading into the home leg.
Speaking to the press before the game, star defender Jules Kounde sounded quite excited about the game, which will be the Frenchman’s first Champions League quarterfinal.
“Very excited, I’m very excited. This is my first quarterfinal and on a collective level, the club has also been doing well for a while. We really want to play, the team arrives with great dynamics,” Kounde said.
PSG were branded as the clear favourites at first. But following Barcelona’s exceptional form in the last few weeks, many experts have started backing the Catalans.
When asked about the ‘favourites’ tag heading into this game, Kounde responded, “That doesn’t matter to us, it’s more of a question for you. We are very confident, we arrive with a good dynamic and we know it will be a difficult game.”
When asked about PSG taking pressure off, the defender added, “It’s not a question for me, I have no opinion.”
The Frenchman also addressed the elephant in the room – Kylian Mbappe and how dangerous he can be for the Barcelona defence.
“We will see what the coach decides, I know him well because we played together in France, he is a player who makes a difference. We will try to stop him, especially on a collective level because he is much more than just an individual,” Kounde said.
When asked how to stop the PSG superstar, Kounde joked, “You have many questions about Mbappé. I would prefer to talk about ourselves.”
The Barcelona starlet was also asked about other PSG stars who may cause problems on the night, including former Barça attacker Ousmane Dembele.
Talking about Dembele and Mbappe as a whole, Kounde said, “They are great players, who have the ability to eliminate many opponents. Both Ousmane and Mbappe are difference-makers.”
A key theme for Barcelona heading into this encounter has been the rapid improvement in defence. The Catalans have indeed kept a slew of clean sheets in La Liga and are keen on managing another shutout tomorrow.
“We have recovered the defensive solidity that gave us so much last year. If we keep a clean sheet it is much easier to carry out the game. All these things have made us enter into a great dynamic and we hope to be able to continue like this,” Kounde said on the team’s defensive comeback.
Pau Cubarsi has been one of the main protagonists behind Barcelona’s renewed defence. And Kounde made sure to acknowledge that while also signing praises of other La Masia talents.
“Cubarsi is a very young player, but he prepares very well, and he trains very well. Pau, Lamine and Fermín are an example to follow for all La Masia players. Gündogan already said it, they are young but they are already prepared,” he said.
Apart from praising Cubarsi, Kounde offered his own assessment as to why the Barça defence has done well in recent times.
“I think we are more concentrated, we make more efforts, we all defend together starting from the top. In addition to conceding fewer goals, they create fewer scoring chances for us and that gives confidence to the team,” he said.
“If you don’t concede you have many chances to win the game. I think we have realized that we were not doing things well, but we have talked and I think the improvement has been noticed,” the defender added.
During this redemption, however, Kounde has had to largely operate in the right-back position, as opposed to his preferred centre-back position.
The Frenchman, though, asserted that he does not have any preference and that he is willing to play in any position for the team.
“I don’t have a preference, where the coach puts me I’m going to play. My position is central, but lately, I’ve been playing as a wide fullback,” he said.
Source: Mundo Deportivo
