After losing to Bayern Munich in the Champions League (1-0), Paris Saint-Germain drew 1-1 with FC Nantes on Saturday as part of Ligue 1 matchday 13 (PSG/Nantes video summary). Following the match, Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique spoke to PSG TV about his players’ performance.
Luis Enrique “Some were very good defensively and others weren’t very effective.”
“I think this year we played better than last year against Nantes, with a lot of chances created, especially one-on-one with very clear chances from inside the box. Four or five of our chances were very clear-cut, but we weren’t very good. Some were very good defensively and others weren’t very effective.
Efficiency is the key to soccer. It’s very difficult to be effective, to attack an opponent who is very compact in his box. It’s very difficult to create as many chances as we did. It’s very difficult. But it’s clear that if you don’t score a goal, it becomes frustrating and weakening.
At the end of the day, there’s only one way forward, and that’s to keep pushing, keep pushing, keep having faith in the players and the team and keep moving forward.”
Defeats and poor performances in the Champions League inevitably have an impact on the players’ morale. PSG want to qualify and win, but are unable to do so despite their considerable and visible efforts. Nevertheless, we need to pull ourselves together, because there is hope. Statistically, the club from the capital has nothing to be ashamed of in terms of what it has offered since the start of the season.
It lacks that little extra something, but the rest is there, whether in terms of intensity or creativity. PSG need to use Ligue 1 to regain their confidence, rather than falling into a pattern of lacklustre, characterless performances. With less than a month to go before the short winter break, the Parisians need to re-motivate themselves to end the year in the best possible way.
