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Paris Saint-Germain’s Blaise Matuidi said yesterday the runaway French Ligue 1 leaders had set “high objectives” for 2016 and aimed to go as far as possible in the Champions League.
Speaking in Doha at the club’s winter tour in Qatar, Matuidi said PSG were also looking to break more records in the second half of the season.
“We have high objectives and we do want the second part of the season to be great,” he told reporters after a 90-minute training session in the Qatari capital.
“We started really well, breaking a record but we want to break more with the league and, of course, with the champions league our goal is to go as far as we can.”
However he added: “There’s a big game waiting for us.”
PSG have drawn English champions Chelsea for the third season in a row in the Champions League.
Chelsea triumphed in 2014 but PSG gained revenge in last season’s competition, before being knocked out by eventual winners Barcelona.
This time PSG will start as clear favourites not only because of their irresistible form but because the English champions have been dismal all season, losing nine matches and currently sit 15th in the English Premier League.
PSG’s Qatari owners hope the summer signing of Argentina winger Angel Di Maria from Manchester United can help propel them further in 2016, with president Nasser al-Khelaifi declaring: “We are close to our dream.”
The matches take place in February and March.
In France, the league is all but won. PSG sit a massive 19 points clear at the top of Ligue 1 at the halfway mark of the season with 51 points, a record for the French league.
They have won 16, drawn three and remain unbeaten.
Among the records the Parisians have a chance of breaking is for the most points in a Ligue 1 season—the current high is 89 held by PSG—and the most games unbeaten, which currently stands at 32, set 20 years ago by Nantes.
Midfielder Matuidi has just been named French footballer of the year 2015 by France Football magazine and said he was “really happy” about the award.
“It’s a real honour. I was voted in by former award recipients so I’m really happy about that. I’m very proud,” said the 28-year-old.
PSG will play Italian league leaders Inter Milan in a friendly in Qatar tomorrow before heading back to France.
Among the players taking part were Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marco Verrati. The session was overseen by coach Laurent Blanc.
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