Achraf Hakimi will experience a very special match this Wednesday. The PSG right-back will return to what was his home for several seasons and will want to show the Santiago Bernabéu crowd that he is one of the best right-backs in the world. In an interview with The Parisian, the Moroccan has reviewed the current situation of the Parisians, in addition to recognizing the great relationship he has with Kylian Mbappé.
The reasons that brought him closer to Mbappé: “A bit of everything. We are two 23-year-olds who share the same tastes. We talk about music, video games, go to restaurants or just spend time together… We like to be friends. If I have time to go out with Mbappé outside the pitch? Yes! You can take time for everything. Family, children… I have a personal life, Kylian too. But we also spend a lot of time at home. You don’t always have to go out and have fun.”
Anecdote with the French: “These things happen. We had to travel by plane and it was not possible. We ended up in a car. And in these cases, you have to stop to put gas in the car and you want to have a Coke, water or a sweet. It was a moment in which we laugh a lot on the highway, because we are young and we like to enjoy life”.
His relationship with Messi and what they talk about on the pitch: “We discuss for the good of the team and we comment on the situations of the game, so that everyone understands how the other plays. We have only been together for six months. It takes time to understand each other, to discover the qualities of the other. But every week we progress and we feel better than at the beginning.”
The feeling of beating Madrid in the last minute: “There was a lot of emotion. To score at home at the end of a Champions League match is very important. Especially because this goal can give us an advantage to qualify. And then there is the way Kylian scored…”
If it is necessary to talk about what it means to play at the Bernabéu: “It is not necessary to talk about it. Everyone knows what Real Madrid is, what stadium the Bernabéu is and what happens there on Champions nights. We are going to prepare for it. We also have great players who have played great games and who they have experience. I think we’re going to be ready.”
The best full-back in history for him: “If we talk about a right back, we can say Dani Alves. For me, the reference is Marcelo, but he plays on the left. But if we stay in the right back position, Dani Alves (…) Dani Alves is a bit like me, he has pleasure in the way he plays, in the way he enjoys himself on the pitch and offensively. I like his right foot, his quality in the center, his shot and, above all, his speed. There are other right-backs like Maicon who was at Inter Milan, Cafu at the time… I’ve tried to watch videos of when they played”.
What has Pochettino asked of him against Madrid: “Nothing in particular, he tells me to play my game, not to change the way I play, be it for a match against Real Madrid or another. I have to repeat what I’ve always done. Of course, I have to be careful with my flank, but also continue to develop my game.