Warning the Paris stars of a dangerous trap: Enrique says this is the worst thing about facing Barcelona
Victory without arrogance
Luis Enrique hailed Paris Saint-Germain's 4-2 win over Barcelona on Tuesday night in the third round of the Champions League league phase at the Parc des Princes. The manager insisted his side proved their quality against a dangerous opponent, even after riding out a rough spell at the start of the second half.
Speaking to the club's official channel after the match, Enrique called the atmosphere inside the Parc des Princes exceptional and singled out the fans' support as a key factor on the night.
He said: "What an atmosphere there was here! Our fans' banners were once again stunning. I think we saw two teams playing incredible and very attacking football."
The Spaniard added: "We showed our level. It was a very competitive match, and I think our first half was exceptional before we suffered in the first 15 minutes of the second half. It was difficult to keep control of the match, but after that we managed to create more scoring chances and win the game."
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"Just three points"
The win over Barcelona mattered, but Enrique played it down: "They are just three extra points, but winning against a team of this quality is always positive."
Riding out the rough spells in the big games is what counts, the Spanish coach insisted, adding: "This is what happened last year against Arsenal and Bayern Munich: there are times when the opponent has the answers and you have to defend deep."
Sitting deep was never the plan, he explained, noting: "But we got through it tonight."
His substitutes earned their praise too. "They were excellent and gave us a real boost. We are very happy. Now we have to carry on," Enrique said.
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Control then pressure: collective defending against Yamal
Enrique told the post-match press conference that the game had unfolded precisely as he'd foreseen: "I watched the kind of match I expected exactly. It was very difficult and we necessarily had to defend. The opponents are at a high level and they can beat you."
The Paris boss then saluted his side's defensive graft. "We did good defensive work today. We were superior in winning the ball back in the opponent's half during the first half, and that is thanks to our forwards. To take the ball off Lamine or Fermin or Olmo, either you get help from your teammates or it becomes impossible."
Lucas Hernandez, scorer of Paris's second goal, drew particular praise. "He did everything right, he scored a superb goal, delivered amazing marking on Lamine, and I am happy with him. He deserves it."
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"We will not fall into the trap": and praise for Barcelona
Enrique refused to accept that Paris had become better than Barcelona following this win, warning: "No, it is a trap if we think we are the best or an exceptional team."
"Today we put in a good defensive performance," he added, "but a team cannot be judged on the result alone."
The defeat did nothing to dampen Enrique's admiration for his former club. He praised Barcelona's quality on the ball and as a unit, arguing that the calibre of the opponent only magnifies what Paris achieved. "Barcelona's individual and collective quality is astonishing, and this gives our team even more merit," he said.
One thing troubled him above all else. "The worst thing was the injuries, as three important players were absent, but that is the nature of top-level football," he noted.
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