Laurent Blanc admits Paris Saint-Germain's 6-0 battering of Caen will do little to erase the memory of their painful Champions League exit, but praised his side for a strong reaction ahead of a crucial week domestically.
PSG fell at the Champions League quarter-final stage for the fourth straight season after a 1-0 defeat at Manchester City on Wednesday, but the Ligue 1 champions were back to their majestic best at the Parc des Princes.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Blaise Matuidi helped PSG to a 2-0 half-time lead, before Edinson Cavani, Angel Di Maria, Ibrahimovic and Maxwell were all on the scoresheet as the floodgates opened after the break.
PSG now travel to Lorient for the semi-final of the Coupe de France on Tuesday and face Lille in the Coupe de la Ligue final next weekend as they seek to retain both trophies, but Blanc says the Champions League failure will live long in the memory.
"We did what we had planned to do," the head coach told beIN Sports. "As I told the players, and they were all of the same opinion as me, the disappointment of not progressing in the Champions League is still there and will remain there, we must digest it.
"But the best way to prepare for the week ahead with two decisive games was to play football and win. This will not erase anything but we regained the pleasure of winning.
"I do not know what will happen Tuesday and Saturday against Lorient and Lille, but I think to have a good chance to do good things in these two games we had to win against Caen.
"The disappointment is difficult to overcome, even this 6-0 win does not erase those memories. But life goes on, you have to overcome that and we have to finish the season, although it will be difficult."
