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PSG v Celtic – “Neymar is so dangerous if he finds some space, so we have to close the gaps,’ Jullien

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CHRISTOPHER JULLIEN is well used to the daunting prospect of facing PSG having regularly played against the French Champions during his time at Toulouse.  But after just one season at Celtic since his £7m move last July, the Parisian defender has swapped constant relegation scraps for scoring the winning goal against the Rangers in the League Cup Final, winning his first league title and having that glorious moment against Lazio at Celtic Park with his last minute winner.

Jullien was yesterday back home in Paris and was looking forward to playing against the French Champions this evening in the final match of Celtic’s mini-French tour which has been ideal preparation for the start of the serious action on Sunday 2 August when Hamilton visit Celtic Park for the Premiership opener as Celtic begin Operation Ten-in-a-Row.

Jullien was asked about his wife model wife Charlotte’s career as a can-can girl at the famous Moulin Rouge club but preferred to speak about another kind of show all together, the one where The Glasgow Celtic will be there!

“We are involved in a different kind of show! But it’s always a big stage when you play against PSG, though. Whenever we came here with Toulouse it was prime time, and they have so many great stars,” Jullien recalled, as reported by Scottish Sun.

“It will be a great game for us to be on the pitch with them. It’s a game of football, but we are going to enjoy the show. All the games we have played in France have been tough, and they can help us in terms of experience for the season ahead.

“We are preparing for a big season, and want to win as many games as we can. All the work we are doing now is to get it right for the next few weeks.”

Reflecting on the list of superstars that will line-up against the Hoops this evening at the Parc des Princes – Neymar, Mbappe, Choupo-Moting and Icardi – the Celtic defender had one question to ask. “How do you stop these guys? You can’t! Especially Neymar, as he is so versatile.

Photo by CHRISTOPHE SAIDI/SIPA/Shutterstock (10710006z)

“He appears everywhere. He can attack from either side of the pitch, and that makes it difficult for midfielders and defenders. Neymar is so dangerous if he finds some space, so we have to close the gaps as much as we can. It will be difficult though.

“When I played against PSG with Toulouse the games were pretty close, apart from Neymar’s first game for them. He was just something else that day. You could see he wanted to show Paris what he can do. He was just better than us by far,” Jullien admitted.

“I was proud to win a couple of games against them, but even in those victories it was far from easy. I spent a lot of time defending my box. It was non-stop pressure for 90 minutes. I try to do my best and you can enjoy dealing with the pressure.

“In some of these games, like the Lazio matches last season and the Betfred Cup final, there was a lot of defending. But I was also able to score a couple of goals. The most important thing is defending well against PSG.”

“It’s funny seeing all the guys taking pictures of the Eiffel Tower as I am so used to seeing it on this side of the city. It’s great to be back in France again. There’s a lot of friends and family who are going to come along to the game in Paris.

“It’s been a long time since they watched me in France and I hope they will enjoy it.

“I would say PSG are among the top five teams in the world right now. When they have their strongest XI out, they are maybe even the best team in the world. They won the French league easily, and believe they have a great chance of winning the Champions League next month. They are top class. It will be tough, but it will be a good test for us in terms of the level we are at.”

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About Author

The Celtic Star founder and editor David Faulds has edited numerous Celtic books over the past decade or so including several from Lisbon Lions, Willie Wallace, Tommy Gemmell and Jim Craig. Earliest Celtic memories include a win over East Fife at Celtic Park and the 4-1 League Cup loss to Partick Thistle as a 6 year old. Best game? Easy 4-2, 1979 when Ten Men Won the League. Email editor@thecelticstar.co.uk

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