On Wednesday, Paris Saint-Germain played their final Champions League group stage match against Newcastle (1-1. Speaking to PSG TV, Luis Enrique, the club’s coach, reflected on the result.
Enrique: “We know the way, and it’s a long way.”
“It’s a difficult feeling to describe. The match started magnificently with the penalty, but we missed it and were clearly unlucky in the first half. We made that mistake in the final minutes of the first half and conceded that goal.
I think it was difficult to analyze and accept as a result. In the second half, we were less precise. That’s how it is. It’s a shame, the atmosphere in the stadium was magnificent. But we know the way, and it’s a long way.”
Enrique: “We’re used to tough away games”
“If there’s one team that knows how difficult it is to get out of this group stage, it’s us, and we’re ready to face Monaco or Qarabağ. We’ll see, I hope it won’t be a French team because we’re tired of playing against the French. It’s better to go to Qarabağ and face a different country.
But we’re used to tough away games and we’ll still have some good moments, we’ll get players back, with another important player injured today. It’s a shame, but we have to accept it.”
A disappointing result for the capital club, which failed to secure a win and therefore a direct qualification spot for the Champions League round of 16. As last season, Luis Enrique’s men will have to go through the round of 32 to start the knockout stages of this competition.
The downside of this result is that it comes after a string of poor performances. First, elimination from the Coupe de France, then defeat against Sporting Lisbon, and finally this home draw against Newcastle. The momentum and performances are below last season’s level, but there is still hope for more positive results from the knockout stages onwards.
Restarting this crucial phase of the season might breathe new life into the squad and, above all, provide renewed motivation, allowing them to once again make history.
