Blanc ´proud´ of PSG commitment

Laurent Blanc has praised his Paris Saint-Germain players for their application in a 1-0 pre-season defeat to Real Madrid on Saturday.

Karim Benzema’s first-half goal was enough to seal victory for former PSG boss Carlo Ancelotti in Gothenburg.

Blanc admitted his side had not been able to match the Spanish side on the ball, and lamented their struggles in front of goal, but was nonetheless encouraged by their spirit and work-rate.

“Real were technically a bit better than us, especially in the first half,” the Frenchman said.

“I am very proud of my players’ commitment. Both teams worked very hard.

“The positive thing is that my players stood up to the challenge physically. They are starting to understand our new playing system.

“We carved out some good chances in the first half, but we struggled with our finishing.”

PSG goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu was also in a positive frame of mind and viewed the game as perfect preparations for their Trophee de Champions clash with Bordeaux next weekend.

“We still have things to improve upon, but some of our players have only just returned to training, take myself for example,” Sirigu said.

“Physically, it’s not easy, but we are improving. We tried to play our own football out there, against one of the best teams in the world.

“We need to keep working to ensure we are ready to take on Bordeaux.”