Paris St Germain vs Monaco - Leonardo Jardim proud to be leading chase behind Paris

Posted Saturday, March 19, 2016 by PA

Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim is surprised how well his side have performed this year in Ligue 1.

Paris St Germain may have won the title with eight games to spare but Jardim is proud to see Monaco heading the chasing pack.

"For me, PSG are one of the top four European teams right now," he said ahead of the two teams' meeting on Sunday.

"This season, they are on the level of Barca, Real and Bayern.

"Fifty per cent of our team changed in the off-season. You need time to construct a team (but) we are second.

"Not many of my players are used to playing at this high level in the table. My job is to support them."

For all that, Jardim does not feel the principality side get the attention their efforts deserve.

"Last year, we had to play in a Champions League quarter-final to get on the first page of the newspapers," he said.

"It is normal. If I was a journalist I would talk more about Marseille, Lyon, Paris or St Etienne, I would sell more.

"If one day we are in a position to win the league, in a year or in five years, you will see, people will still talk about others more than us. That's how it is. Monaco are not important for French football."

Monaco will be without Joao Moutinho at the Parc des Princes, with the midfielder out for a month with an ankle injury suffered against Reims last time out. Fabio Coentrao, Adama Traore and Mario Pasalic are also missing.

The Champions League draw has occupied PSG's focus, with Laurent Blanc's side paired with Manchester City in the quarter-final.

But Jardim said: "I am not expecting at all that PSG will be demotivated against us.

"The psychological aspect is very important in football. We work on this every day.

Closer to home for PSG, exiled defender Serge Aurier will make his return to action on Saturday with the club's reserve side.

The full-back, who on Thursday was named in the Ivory Coast squad for their upcoming double-header with Sudan, has not played for his club since February 10 having been cast aside for his insulting comments about Blanc and some of his team-mates during a question-and-answer session on Periscope.

He will play in the CFA match against Poissy while his colleagues prepare to face ASM the following day - without midfielder Marco Verratti, who remains sidelined by a groin injury.