On Wednesday, in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final (Paris Saint-Germain won the first leg 5-4), Paris Saint-Germain will face Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena (kick-off at 9 pm, CET). On the eve of this match, PSG coach Luis Enrique answered several questions at a press conference.
Luis Enrique: “I don’t think either team accepts that the other is better.”
Could a team manage the score?
What we say as coaches is that the difference between the first and second legs is usually the result or the teams’ style. But this time, I can’t say it will be any different from the first leg. I don’t think either team accepts that the other is better.
Luis Enrique: “We don’t want to defend a result.”
Do you want to do something different to reach the final?
We always want to improve. If we look back at the results between Kompany’s Bayern and Luis Enrique’s PSG, there are three results that are normal in football. But tomorrow things can still change that pattern.
What’s clear is that the team behind wants to turn the game around and will be looking to win. As a team, we will always have the same mentality. We aim to win every match. We don’t want to defend a result. It’s a difficult objective, a challenge. But we’re happy with our performances, especially away from home.
Are you expecting a crazy match?
It doesn’t matter. It will be a very high-level match between two of the best teams in Europe who both have the desire to reach the final. It’s a thrilling scenario.
Luis Enrique: “We want to stay true to who we are as a team.”
You often say that you have to believe and that you’re going to do it. Can you say that again for this match?
I always say it, that we’re going to win. Whether we succeed or not depends on many things. But no fan is going to stop changing their tune, no player is going to stop playing. We’re here because we’ve achieved a lot, and it’s important to show that again. We want to stay true to who we are as a team.
Back at the Allianz Arena, what’s it like here?
We don’t need any more motivation; we’re at 100%. Being at 125% doesn’t work. I want the perfect motivation. We have good memories, that’s clear. Going back to Munich will always be a pleasure; we can remember what we experienced last year. Personally, with Barça, I also faced Bayern the year I won the Champions League; it was in the semi-finals with the second leg in Munich. That makes it even more motivating.
Luis Enrique: “We showed resilience in difficult moments.”
The first leg was very emotionally draining. How did you cope with it?
It’s clear that when you play this type of match, against this opponent, the strongest we’ve ever faced, with a surprising result… the first thing I can say is that we won. We have a slight advantage, but that means nothing in this game. There were moments for both teams during the match.
It’s very important to control your emotions. It’s difficult to do, but we have the experience. We showed resilience in difficult moments. We want to live up to our fans. There will be almost 4,000 of them singing the whole time. It’s very important to have their support.
Will managing periods of pressure be one of the keys?
Absolutely. But both teams have shown this ability. The match started with Kane’s goal, then we scored, it was 3-2, 5-2, 5-4, everyone was worried. But worried about what? Both teams showed their mentality. We have to take advantage of these kinds of matches, and that’s what we want to keep doing. We can still improve our performance, be even better.
Luis Enrique: “We admire Bayern because they play very good football, but it’s a motivation.”
Are you prepared to be down by three goals and come back?
It’s easier said than done, but both teams, especially us over the last two years, have shown their ability to handle difficult moments. We want to do it again, to be more competitive than ever. When I see this kind of match, I remember words from Rafael Nadal, who said that playing against Federer or Djokovic was a motivation.
I pass that on to the players. We admire Bayern because they play such good football, but that motivates us to strive for our best performance. Tomorrow, we’ll try to overcome everything, including the atmosphere. And they’re playing a sensational team.
Is the one-goal lead a psychological advantage? Or does the madness take over?
It’s both. If we think about the match against Chelsea, we went to London with a three-goal lead, and there was some fear about the atmosphere, because if you concede a goal, it’s difficult. In Liverpool, it was two goals. Tomorrow, it’s only one. Everything can change very quickly throughout the match. Bayern can score quickly, and so can we. We don’t want to defend a result. We’re looking to win the match.
Luis Enrique: “They will be there to support the team and try to experience this match together, as usual.”
Are you able to enjoy yourself as a coach in a match like this?
Enjoying yourself as a top-level coach is difficult. What we, as staff, are looking for is to give our team the important things. There are things we can improve compared to the first match. But it’s difficult to see negative things or criticize. All the players are giving their all. We mainly talked about the fact that both teams deserve praise.
Hakimi, Chevalier, and Ndjantou are joining the squad despite their injuries? Do they have a role?
They asked to come, which shows the type of players we have. They will be there to support the team and try to experience this match together, as usual.
