For the second leg of their Champions League playoff, Paris Saint-Germain hosted AS Monaco at the Parc des Princes and qualified after a 2-2 draw (5-4 on aggregate). Speaking to PSG TV, Luis Enrique, the club’s coach, commented on the result after the match.
Enrique: “We were very imprecise”
“It was very complicated. Despite the atmosphere in the stadium and all the fans, it’s a very difficult type of match, especially after winning the first leg. In the first half, we were very imprecise. We made mistakes, and on the contrary, Monaco had a very good half. We talked about it at halftime, changing things up to play a little simpler, and I think the second half was very different.”
Enrique: “If there’s one team used to complications, it’s ours.”
“We deserved to qualify, but it was a struggle the whole time. If there’s one team used to complications, it’s ours. We had the toughest group; we were supposed to play against Qarabağ or Monaco, and it was Monaco, of course. And now, between Chelsea and Barcelona, both are great teams. We’re ready, and we’re used to playing this type of match.”
A hard-fought but important victory for PSG, who advance from the Champions League playoffs to qualify for the Round of 16. The situation looked bleak for PSG, who, despite some good attacking spells, failed to open the scoring and even found themselves trailing 1-0. The Monaco player’s sending-off obviously tipped the scales.
But overall, this Parisian team was already dominant, and the scoreline didn’t fully reflect the flow of the game. The Parisians managed to regain the lead and secure qualification, which had seemed almost in jeopardy. But it’s clear that for the remainder of the competition, they will need to show greater clinical finishing and defensive solidity to go as far as possible.
