Di María: Özil is a top-quality player
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
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As Paris prepare to face Arsenal in their Group A showdown, Ángel Di María explains what it takes to win the UEFA Champions League – and reveals his admiration for the Gunners' No11.
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A UEFA Champions League winner with Real Madrid in 2013/14, Ángel Di María is hoping to add another European title to his collection with Paris Saint-Germain this season. Speaking to UEFA.com, the Argentina forward discusses Wednesday's mouth-watering Group A showdown with Arsenal, the impact of new Paris coach Unai Emery – and what it takes to lift the greatest prize in club football.
How have things changed from a tactical point of view under Unai Emery?
It's changed a lot. With Unai, our game is completely different. We always try to keep the ball and control the match, but when we don't have possession the pressing and running are very different from what we used to do.
You've played a lot of matches in the UEFA Champions League. How does it feel to represent Paris in the competition?
It's very good. I've been lucky enough to have the chance to play in the Champions League with many different teams, and I've played in a lot of different stadiums. The Parc des Princes is beautiful. And when we play in the Champions League, the atmosphere is very different to when we play in the league – you can feel the difference, and it's wonderful.
Do you have a favourite UEFA Champions League memory from the Parc de Princes?
Yes, from last year – my first match against Malmö, which was my first Champions League match with Paris, after a year out of the competition at Manchester United. Playing in the Champions League again was a tremendous joy and satisfaction. And I scored in my first match at the Parc de Princes, so that was very nice and very special.
In Paris's opening game against Arsenal, the team performed impressively but drew 1-1. What did you learn from that for this second match?
We played really well and had chances to win it. I think we played better than Arsenal, and they didn't play well, but I don't think we learned much because we just couldn't score enough goals. We know they're a very strong team with some high-quality players, but if we do our job we've got a chance of achieving our goal.
What do you think are Arsenal's strengths?
They're very strong on the counterattack. Özil is a top-quality player – his passing is very good, and he's got some very quick players around him. But we're doing well in this Champions League. We've still got two more matches to play, and we have to keep on working. Our objective is to finish top of the group.
From your experience as a UEFA Champions League winner, what does it take to lift the trophy?
Luck. You need a bit of luck. Last year when we played Manchester City, if you think about it our players had more quality than theirs, and we had more of a chance to reach the semi-finals, but we lost 1-0 in Manchester. We lacked a little luck, and didn't play the way we were supposed to.
On the other hand, when I played in the Champions League final with Real Madrid, there were only one or two minutes left at the end and Sergio Ramos scored an equaliser which changed the whole story. That's the bit of luck that you need to change a situation like that.