This Tuesday at 9 p.m. (CET), Paris Saint-Germain (1st) will face Villarreal (19th) at the Estadio de la Cerámica as part of the 4th matchday of the 2026-2027 Champions League. In a press conference, Spanish coach Iñigo Pérez spoke about this encounter and his Parisian opponents.
Pérez: “We must cast aside fear and play without any complexes.”
“We want to make a statement against the European champions. They are like a bulldozer, crushing almost everyone in their path. We know their strengths. We have to cast aside fear and play without any complexes. Luis Enrique is doing a perfect, brilliant job; he has a great deal of personality. As a young coach, it’s a source of pride for me to face him.”
Pérez: “Every player wants to face PSG.”
“If you ask any player whether tomorrow’s match inspires fear or excitement, the answer is definitely the latter! Every player wants to face PSG, and every Villarreal supporter wants to see their team play against the champions of the last two years. I have no doubt: tomorrow will be an evening where both the players and the fans will be as excited as can be.”
The coach of the “Yellow Submarine” is not pretending otherwise—PSG is impressive and presents a major challenge. But there is no question of simply handing them the victory or being afraid to play; that would be pointless. We must acknowledge our opponent’s qualities and give everything to contain them, while also looking to exploit any potential weaknesses. No team is perfect—certainly not in every single match. There is always hope, and Villarreal will fight to pull off a major upset.
PSG has “earned” the high expectations surrounding them by winning the Champions League twice in a row, playing an admirable style of football. Now, they must continue to live up to that standard—there is no room for complacency. The goal remains to go as far as possible, which means overcoming the challenges posed by highly motivated opponents. This away match promises to be an incredibly intense encounter.
