The Ligue 1 newcomers are off to a good start to the 2020/2021 season as Ingnatius Ganago’s second-half goal was enough to stun Tuchel’s men at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis.
Speaking after the game, Tuchel rued missed chances as the main reason why his team fell to Lens in the inaugural game of the season.
“I saw a good first half, with a lot of recoveries and phases of possession in the opposing camp,” the former Borussia Dortmund boss told reporters.
“We controlled the game, setting a good pace and showing a good mentality. But we also missed opportunities. In the second half, unfortunately, we made this mistake (relaunch, Bulka).”
“ After the goal, we struggled. We were tired after 70 or 75 minutes. We have to accept it. This is only the start of the season.”
“We must not lose our minds, because in all we will play four matches in ten days.”
Next up for PSG is a crunch encounter against rivals Olympique Marseille on Sunday. The German coach was asked if he is worried facing Andre Villas Boas’ men, but Tuchel said no with a grimaced face despite admitting it will be a tough game.
“No, but I am a realist. It takes several weeks to get used to it. Today, compared to our preparation, we were in a situation similar to a friendly match,” he added.
“But it was not. Lens was, for its part, a physically ready team, which had played well in Nice (defeat 1-2, on the first day) . It was complicated to create chances against their 5-2-1-2.”
“You shouldn't be too critical of the players. A 0-0 was possible and there were some positive things. Afterwards, if we have to play with the same team against Marseille, we will.”