Presnel Kimpembe conceded the absence of supporters proved costly to Paris Saint-Germain's Ligue 1 title hopes last season.

Les Parisiens' run of three straight league titles ended as they finished a point behind champions Lille under Mauricio Pochettino.

Pochettino's side surrendered top spot following a 1-0 defeat by Lille at the start of April, and were unable to reclaim it as the French domestic crown eluded them for only the second time in nine seasons.

That loss was one of five they suffered during the Ligue 1 campaign at Parc des Princes, where they scored 44 goals while conceding 14 and keeping nine clean sheets.

By contrast, 2018-19 – the last full season played in front of full-capacity stadia – saw them go unbeaten on home soil, finding the net 63 times and letting in just 10 goals and recording the same number of clean sheets.

And Kimpembe believes the potential return of supporters will be instrumental as he and his team-mates look to regain the Ligue 1 crown.

"For me, it will make all the difference," the vice-captain told the official club website.

"They are the 12th man and given how important they are to us, last season was not easy. 

"We felt that the absence of the supporters weighed on us when we were a bit down. 

"You hear the voice of the supporters, the chants, the shouts and obviously that pushes you on. 

"I hope that they will come back soon and that we will be able to have a great season together."

They launch their quest against reigning Ligue 2 champions Troyes on Saturday.

Laurent Batlles' side are back in the top-flight after a three-year absence, having finished five points clear of second-placed Clermont.

PSG began 2020-21 with back-to-back 1-0 defeats against Lens and Marseille; a start to the season that Kimpembe is eager to avoid this time around.

"We saw last season that the start of the championship was complicated," he added. "We lost a lot of points stupidly.

"Against Troyes, we know what to expect. They're not going to do us any favours and they're back from Ligue 2. 

"We know that they will want to play well against us. We need to get off to a good start."

Presnel Kimpembe has defended team-mate Kylian Mbappe after the forward was criticised by former player Jerome Rothen for putting himself first over the team.

Mbappe failed to score or assist a goal in France's three Euro 2020 group matches, but Les Blues still advanced with draws against Hungary and Portugal after beating Germany.

The Paris Saint-Germain star's eight attempts are the most of any France player in the tournament, but he found the target from just three of those.

Only three players – Gerard Moreno (nine), Burak Yilmaz and Martin Braithwaite (both 10) – had more attempts in the group phase without scoring.

Mbappe is four games without a goal overall, meanwhile, and ex-PSG winger Rothen has suggested the 22-year-old's ego is hindering his performances.

"There's no problem with Mbappe being the leader on the field, but when it goes beyond the field then it annoys me," Rothen, who earned 13 senior caps for France, told RMC Sport.

"I don't think Didier Deschamps can handle it anymore and it is becoming troublesome. It's amazing Kylian is allowed to do so many things. His ego is inordinate and is a problem."

Mbappe created three chances in the games against Germany, Hungary and Portugal, which is one fewer than Paul Pogba and three fewer than Antoine Griezmann.

But Kimpembe has no concerns over Mbappe's form and believes it is just a matter of time before he starts scoring goals again.

"There is still a long way to go in the competition," he said at a news conference on Saturday ahead of France's last-16 tie with Switzerland. 

"Scoring will not be a problem for him. He is also there to provide for the rest of the team. He is creating a lot of chances.

"He is not scoring but is playing a part in the team's offensive actions and is happy to help others – that is the most important thing for the team. Above all, the results are most important."

France's entertaining 2-2 draw with Portugal on Wednesday saw them finish top of Group F and set up a meeting with Switzerland in Bucharest on Monday.

Should Les Blues pass their first knockout-round test, they are on course to face either Spain or Croatia – the side they beat in the 2018 World Cup final – in the quarter-finals.

And while France managed just one win in their three group fixtures, Kimpembe was eager to put things into perspective after topping an extremely tough group. 

"To come out on top in the group of death, I'll take that," Kimpembe said. "What would you rather: finish first with a few problems, or second and third with good performances?

"You have to put things into perspective and look at the bright side. The objective was to finish first, which we've achieved. We are very happy about that."

France have now gone two years since their last competitive defeat, which came against Turkey in a European Championship qualifier in June 2019.

Neymar resumed Paris Saint-Germain training on Monday in a boost to their preparations for a Trophee des Champions clash with Marseille.

The Brazil star has not yet featured under Mauricio Pochettino, having sustained an ankle injury in December.

According to Le Parisien, the former Barcelona forward is "50-50" to face Marseille in Wednesday's game in Lens.

Neymar has only managed seven Ligue 1 appearances this season, scoring three times and providing three assists.

His most telling performances have been in the Champions League, where six goals in five games helped PSG to win a tough Group H ahead of RB Leipzig and Manchester United.

Leandro Paredes, Danilo Pereira and Presnel Kimpembe, who suffered a hamstring injury last month, also returned to training in Monday's session.

Pochettino, who took over following Thomas Tuchel's sacking in December, is bidding to win his first trophy as a coach this week.

He recorded his first win as PSG boss on Saturday, when Moise Kean, Mauro Icardi and Pablo Sarabia scored in a 3-0 Ligue 1 victory over Brest.