Luis Enrique feared the worst despite PSG’s 3-0 half-time lead

“If you’re unlucky today, you lose this match.” After PSG’s 4-2 victory away to Manchester City, Luis Enrique admitted that his team had come close to a far less favourable outcome. The Paris coach had expected an intense contest, but the opposition’s second-half response could have proved costly.

PSG went into the break with a three-goal lead. “No result would have been fair today,” Luis Enrique said, also describing the game as “an exciting match” at his press conference. He explained that the scenario he had anticipated had unfolded: two teams intent on playing and pressing continuously, at a relentless pace.

In his view, PSG had handled the pressure well in the first half and deserved its advantage. But a 3-0 lead at the break could also encourage a team to ease off after the restart. Manchester City, trailing, took risks, making the second half harder for the Parisians to manage. “We had a lot of problems and if you’re unlucky today, you lose this match,” Luis Enrique summed up.

The coach described an opponent committed to attack, at times leaving only one player behind the ball. Manchester City’s pressing caused problems, he acknowledged, even though PSG had pressed almost perfectly before the interval in his assessment. The second half, by contrast, featured mistakes from his side.

Luis Enrique also stressed the importance of winning in England against the Premier League leaders, calling it motivating and significant for his team. He dismissed the suggestion that the prestigious victory sent a message to their rivals. For him, the aim is to reach March: “The only message is the team that wins the European Cup at the end of the season.”