On Tuesday, in the first leg of their 2025-2026 Champions League playoff (the second leg is on Wednesday, February 25), Paris Saint-Germain (2nd in Ligue 1) will face AS Monaco (8th) at the Stade Louis II (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: “There’s always a lot of noise surrounding PSG. We have to accept it…”
What are you expecting from the battles on the wings? Could that decide the match?
I think we can’t talk about two players on each team. There are some very good teams, with a lot of quality players. We expect a match similar to the one in Ligue 1. We’re not changing our style of play; we’re going to try to win.
Can Ousmane Dembélé’s words add motivation for the end of the season?
There’s always a lot of noise surrounding PSG. We have to accept it…that’s it (smiles).
Luis Enrique: “That’s a professional coach’s analysis.”
What’s the players’ state of mind since the defeat?
The defeat is strange. If you think about the chances we created against Marseille and Rennes, it was very similar. We created a lot. In the match against Marseille, we scored 5 goals. Against Rennes, we only managed 1. And we lost because they were very efficient. That’s a coach’s professional analysis. It’s better to come away with a win, but we’re used to overcoming challenges. It’s a special moment; we’re starting the real Champions League, with two matches against the same opponent.
Luis Enrique: “We’re not changing our mentality; we want to win.”
Is it unusual to face a French club? Are you expecting a performance like in a real Champions League match?
In terms of the important things during a match, you have to be focused and play the same way. The competition is different, but it’s football; you have to do the job well to win the match. We’re not changing our mentality; we want to win, whether at home or away.
Have you spoken with Dembélé again since then?
What I said, I think, is very clear. There’s always a lot of noise surrounding PSG. We’re used to it.
Will PSG show its true colors, as you said? Why do you think so?
I hope to see the best version, like at the start of the league season. We want to win every match; our mentality hasn’t changed.
Luis Enrique: “We have confidence in our players; we have the quality.”
What do you expect from your players tomorrow, more efficiency or more control?
If I have to judge my players based on what I know, of course. We have great quality. But, in a season, there are different moments, in terms of confidence and what we can do in a match. But we have confidence in our players; we have the quality. We know it’s a very difficult match. It always is away from home. We have confidence in ourselves, that’s clear.
Do you still have confidence in your philosophy?
Of course, that was very clear last season too. We started with a lack of efficiency, but the number of chances we created is clear. When you can create a lot of opportunities, it means you’re superior to your opponent. That’s what we want. We hope to quickly rediscover our efficiency.
There’s always something special about coming to Monaco. Are you hoping for a quieter evening?
I don’t know, we’ll see. Maybe we’ll play without a goalkeeper; none of them want to play (laughs).
