Thursday morning at 03:00 (CET), Manchester City will host Paris Saint-Germain in the second matchday of the UEFA Champions League group stage. Ahead of the fixture, Maresca attended the team press conference, where he shared his expectations for the match towards the end of the session.Related link: [Maresca: This will always be Pep's home; I don't know if there's a big gap between us and PSG]

You've maintained a perfect record since the Community Shield, winning matches in different ways. How would you assess the team's start to the season? What aspects satisfy you, and what areas still need improvement?

We have many areas to improve, including attacking organization and defensive structure; there's undoubtedly room for growth. As you mentioned, we've recorded seven or eight consecutive wins so far this season, but every match is different. For example, the last match at Anfield was completely different from the others.

Also, after the first half against Bournemouth, we trailed 0-1 but managed to turn it around; and we won against Manchester United with one fewer player. Each match has its own story. Winning is our job and what matters most, but for me, I value the players' performances in daily training more, and that makes me very pleased.

With fluctuating results and on-pitch performances, is it difficult to pinpoint areas that need improvement?

No, during the international break, we reviewed the previous seven matches and identified areas that absolutely need improvement. Of course, improvement is a continuous process. In the match against Liverpool, I was dissatisfied with our possession and movement off the ball in the first half, but there were some good aspects. Every match is an opportunity to learn and improve.

This is Manchester City's 16th consecutive season in the Champions League, with the team reaching the knockout stages in most of those years. For you, how important is this competition for the club's development? Also, if things don't go well, this could be the team's last Champions League campaign for some time. What's your view on that?

Right now I'm only focused on tomorrow's match. The Champions League means a great deal to this club, without question. We want to perform better than we have over the last two or three years, because the team has faced some difficulties in the Champions League previously. We'll fight hard to achieve better results. As for whether we can reach March or April, or whether this will be our last Champions League for a while, I don't know.

Fair or not, every upcoming match will see the team, the players, and you yourself under scrutiny. You handled the pressure well and performed brilliantly in the Anfield match. What core message do you want to convey to the players and the club? Is it simply to stay calm and focus on football itself?

I've said many times that I'm very calm and relaxed. Honestly, I think about match plans and daily training schedules, and I feel considerable pressure from that, but I don't worry about things I can't control. My message to the players is always the same: we understand the seriousness of the situation.

But there are some things we can't do anything about. We can only control what happens on the pitch, so I choose to focus my attention there. I said after the Liverpool match that there's a lot of noise surrounding the team, but we need to learn to filter out distractions and create our own noise—that is, keep winning matches.

Ruben Dias will also be coming for an interview shortly. I'd like to ask: as captain, has he stepped up and taken on more responsibility in recent days? How important is his role?

Yes, to be honest, since I joined the team this summer, I've been in constant communication with Ruben. He is the captain, and many decisions need to be discussed with him. From day one, he has been a true leader and has done well in every aspect.

You previously mentioned the atmosphere in the dressing room after the match. Can you describe what it was like? Has the recent turmoil brought the entire team closer together?

After the match, we celebrated with the fans, and emotions were running high. But perhaps this period has been harder for the fans than for the players and me. Imagine if I were an Arsenal or Manchester United fan watching Manchester City fans—I might express some doubts or accusations. The fans bear greater pressure. But we were very pleased after securing three points; we know how difficult it is to get points at Anfield, so everyone celebrated joyfully in the dressing room.

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