Paris St Germain coach Luis Enrique knows his side cannot allow their standards to drop as they head into the defining part of the season.
After securing their place in the last eight of the Champions League, the Ligue 1 leaders host Reims on Sunday and then face Nice aiming to reach the semi-finals of the Coupe de France.
Enrique insists the players must stay focused on delivering the required performance levels during such a crucial run of fixtures.
“Against Reims, the tension will be high because we played in the Champions League this week” the PSG coach said.
“We need to take this factor into account. We will need to be at our best tomorrow.
“And against Nice, in the Coupe de France afterwards, there will be a lot at stake since we want to win everything.”
Enrique added in a press conference: “We are pleased to have qualified (in Europe), but we are focusing on the present, we need to concentrate on the upcoming match against Reims in the league.
“I remember the first match against them, it was also after a Champions League match. We won in a not-so-easy encounter.
“We will need to be at our best once again and we expect a tough match, also because we used up a lot of energy on Tuesday.”
PSG will again be without centre-back Marquinhos, who has been managing an Achilles problem and was an unused substitute for the Champions League win over Real Sociedad, while Marco Asensio continues his recovery programme on a hamstring strain.
Kylian Mbappe scored twice on Tuesday night, having been taken off at half-time of the previous Ligue 1 game at Monaco.
Enrique feels PSG need to maintain flexibility as they look to sustain challenges on all fronts.
“Players may change on the field, but the intentions remain the same,” he said.
“We also want to be as unpredictable as possible and we are all working together on this approach.”
Reims coach Will Still says his side must not believe their season is over already following a run of just one win in the last six league games.
“We have to remove the idea that we have nothing left to play for,” Still told a press conference.
“We are ninth, a few points behind the teams in front – just because results have been more frustrating lately doesn’t mean we should question everything.
“We are not going to go there and crash, but to play and try to give the best image of Reims.”
Nashville SC v San Jose Earthquakes: ‘A win would change everything’ - Godoy
Anibal Godoy insists that Nashville are already looking at their game against San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday as a must-win.
Nashville have won just once in the MLS this season and sit in 14th place in the Eastern Conference after a run of four without a win.
The Earthquakes, meanwhile, are bottom of the Western Conference having lost eight of their matches and recording just one win.
Godoy is aware of how their poor start to the season could affect their playoff hopes later down the line but is confident that Nashville can turn things around.
He said: “For us, it's an important week. It's a day we have to win, or we'll start to feel the pressure from other teams as they start to separate in the table.
“This league is long but if we want to get to the playoff you have to win games early on, especially at home.”
Liverpool agree compensation deal for Slot
Liverpool and Feyenoord have reached an agreement in principle over a compensation deal for Arne Slot to become the Reds’ manager next season, according to widespread Dutch media reports.
The Dutchman is reportedly poised to take over from Jurgen Klopp, who announced in January that he would be leaving the club at the end of the campaign.
Slot led Feyenoord to their second Eredivisie title last season after taking over the club in 2021.
It is believed that he topped the list of Liverpool’s favoured candidates due to his attacking playing style and ability to develop players.
Former Liverpool midfielder, Xabi Alonso, who led Bayer Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga title, and Sporting CP’s Ruben Amorim were also reported contenders to take over from Klopp.
Slot had already confirmed his interest in managing in the Premier League, both earlier this week and previously when he was linked to Tottenham in 2023.
QPR 4-0 Leeds United: Shock loss for Farke's men seals Leicester's promotion
QPR thrashed Leeds United 4-0 in the Championship on Friday, ensuring Leicester City booked their promotion straight back to the Premier League.
Ilias Chair was the star for the Hoops as he scored the opener and assisted two more goals to ensure QPR will stay in the Championship for another season.
Lucas Andersen, Lyndon Dykes and Sam Field also got their names on the scoresheet in an emphatic win for Marti Cifuentes' side.
Leeds' heaviest defeat of the season was a huge blow in the race for an automatic promotion spot, with Ipswich Town just one point behind them in third place with two games in hand going into their away clash against Hull City on Saturday.
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