Marquinhos: "Start by taking points at home tomorrow" | OneFootball

The Paris Saint-Germain captain heads into Wednesday's UEFA Champions League opener in determined mood.

THE NEW FORMAT

'We want to go as far as possible in this competition. It's a new format that we're all going to get to know. Each match will be important, and we'll have to start by taking points at home tomorrow. I think it's good for the fans, who are going to have some great extra matches. But for the players it's tougher, there are extra games to the ones we have in the league, the cup and with our national teams. Fortunately, we have a squad that our coach manages well to enable each player to rest.'

THE FORWARD LINE

'I think the coach knew our forwards wanted to shine. They're scoring, they're happy, they're confident. We are increasingly focused on a collective style of football, it's the direction we're heading in.'

Ousmane Dembélé

'He's a player who's been here for a year. I think he's taking the handbrake off more and more. He's confident. He's a player the coach and the whole of the dressing room likes. We're very happy he's effective, because it's important for the team.'

THE AGE OF THE SQUAD

'At 30, I'm already the oldest one in the dressing room. When I came here there were players who were 34 or 35. It's a philosophy. Today you see players of 17 and 18 who are already in the senior national team, who play big games. Young players mature earlier. I like to have leader in the dressing room, and today I find myself in that position.'

THE PARISIAN STYLE

'We're getting more and more used to the coach's philosophy. This hasn't really been a start to a new season but a continuation of last season. I think you can see that on the pitch. Now, we are looking to improve.'

João Neves

'He's a 'monster'! He's settled into the squad very quickly, despite our playing style not being necessarily easy to understand in terms of what the coach wants, the team...but even though he's very young, you can see he's mature and ready. I wish for him to keep improving and we'll be there to help him.'

HIS CAPTAINCY

'It's an honour for me to be chosen by my teammates. I try to do my best for the team. A captain must always be an example to others. Words are important to motivate the players and the whole team when they need it, but actions are even more so. I am going to give my all for my teammates to be proud of their captain.'

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