Paris Saint-Germain boss Laurent Blanc says setbacks to his side's preparations in a "difficult week" made their 2-0 win over Bastia on Saturday all the more pleasing.
A game of few chances saw the Ligue 1 leaders prevail through Zlatan Ibrahimovic's second-half brace, sealing a hard-earned win for Blanc's men, who have not lost in the league since March.
Having seen many of his star names jetting across the globe on international duty this week, Blanc revelled in their professionalism upon returning to Paris.
"I am very pleased with the three points and this allows us to prepare well for [Real] Madrid," he said after the game, looking ahead to Wednesday's Champions League clash.
"Our preparation conditions were not optimal with players recovering very late having made some insane trips."
Argentina international Angel Di Maria was one of several first-team players rested for the trip to Corsica, but Blanc insists Bastia's good performance was the main factor in their early struggles at the Stade Armand Cesar.
"I wanted to preserve my players by making some rotations," Blanc said.
"While our first period was average, our work and especially that of Bastia during 45 minutes was very helpful for the second period where we had more space and freedom.
"Never forget the opponent! When you say that Paris was winded you do not focus on Bastia."
Blanc added his side are likely to be presented with similar challenges to their preparations for future matches, insisting it cannot be used as an excuse.
"It was a difficult week but we will not hide behind that," he said. "But it is what comes with being a big club and especially those with a lot of South Americans."
