Christophe Galtier discussed his hostile return to Nice and hailed Paris Saint-Germain s resolve following their 2-0 victory on Saturday.
Goals from Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos ensured a return to winning ways after back-to-back losses for the Ligue 1 champions.
Defeats against Rennes and Lyon had seen the league leaders slip up in their title pursuit, marking out their trip to Galtier s old club as a must-win.
The former Nice boss was greeted with offensive banners upon his return – one of which targeted his mother to his understandable frustration.
I went to thank them for this wonderful welcome, he told Canal+, before explaining his gesture towards the supporters.
Why did I react like this? Did you see? Did you read? Did you hear? My mother, she s 83 years old, recovering from cancer.
-0.45 Paris have accumulated fewer Expected Goals than their opponents for the sixth time in 14 Ligue 1 games in 2023 (1.46 for Nice compared to 1.01 for Paris tonight), that s as many as in their previous 63 games in the top-flight. Feverish.
— OptaJean (@OptaJean)
On the match, Galtier added: We obviously had a lot of pressure on our shoulders.
[With] our underperformance, with the victory for [second-placed] Lens and especially against Nice, coming to win here was important.
We didn t have our best game of the season, but we had a lot of solidarity and fighting spirit. We have three important points [as a result].
Victory at Allianz Riviera saw PSG restore a six-point cushion between them and Lens, who they face next weekend in what is set to be a decisive clash in the title race.
Galtier stressed he will need his side to up their game against their rivals for the Ligue 1 crown, adding: Next week, it will take as much fighting spirit, but we must be better on the ball.
[We are] six points ahead. It s better to have them than to chase after them. We have an important game on Saturday.