Emery lauds PSG after Trophee des Champions triumph

Paris Saint-Germain head coach Unai Emery praised the composure of his team after the French giants came from behind to beat Monaco 2-1 in the Trophee des Champions.

PSG trailed Ligue 1 titleholders Monaco 1-0 at half-time but came storming back to claim a fifth successive Trophee des Champions thanks to Dani Alves and Adrien Rabiot on Saturday.

Djibril Sidibe’s expertly taken first-half opener put PSG on the backfoot in Morocco until Emery’s men hit back, firstly through former Juventus full-back Dani Alves six minutes into the second half before he turned provider for Rabiot 12 minutes later.

Speaking post-match, Emery said: “We saw two good teams – very different from each other but both with a lot of talent out on the pitch.

“We controlled the match and we were good in the attacking phases even though they were dangerous on the counter. But we created a lot of dangerous situations.

“We wanted to continue playing our game and the team showed they know how to remain calm. That’s very important.”

PSG star Marco Verratti added: “I think that we had a rough start to the match. We were caught on the counter but after that, we kept on playing our game.

“Dani Alves’ goal gave us a lot of confidence, and that allowed us to take the upper hand. We created a lot of chances and we deserved to win.”

Meanwhile, PSG chairman and CEO Nasser Al-Khelaifi said: “I’m very proud of the whole team; we played a huge match and won the seventh Trophee des Champions in Club history and our fifth in a row. It’s a great performance.

“Dani Alves showed all his talent; I’m very proud of him and, once again, the entire team after this great win.”