Luis Enrique said that the power of Paris Saint-Germain to control the possession will be the key in their Champions League last 16 second stage against Liverpool on Anfield on Tuesday.
PSG brand 1-0 down in the collision. Despite dominating the first stage, Harvey Elliott appeared with the winning goal in the 87th minute.
The Parisiens had 27 shots last week on the side of Arne Slot, the one second record (from 2003-04) by a team in a knockout match of the Champions League in which they both could not score and lost, behind only PSG themselves against Borussia Dortmund in May 2024 (30).
But all hope is not lost. They have succeeded in continuing two of their previous five Champions League knockout phase tires after losing the first stage and came back to beat Borussia Dortmund in the last 16 (3-2) and Barcelona 2019 and Barcelona in the quarterfinals of 2023-24 (6-4).
“The match of Tuesday will be more balanced. I am optimistic about what my team can do,” Luis Enrique told reporters.
“Of course we have to defend and attack together, have as much possession as possible, and then we can create opportunities.
“Our goal is clear, it is to try to be better than our opponents. Especially away from home. It's hard to play away from home, but you try to control things.
“We know what we are doing well and what we need to improve. We want to hold the ball, that is our basis, and from there we will see how the game is developing.”
PSG has only a 25% chance of reaching the quarterfinals of the competition according to the data-conducting simulations of OPTA.
But Luis Enrique is no stranger to brave the opportunities in the Champions League and helps Barcelona to one of the largest European comebacks of all time against his current employers.
Barcelona wrote history by becoming the first team in the Champions League that destroyed a 4-0 deficit in the first pipes in the round of 16, even though it was 5-3 in the 88th minute.
Asked if he could recreate it, he said: “I would rather not have come back from four goals to PSG with Barca.
“But in my career, even when things go wrong, there are still elements that you can manage. I find that interesting and I have the opportunity to do it.”
This season Liverpool has won all four of their home games in the Champions League. If they still claim a victory here, Slot would be the first manager to win each of his first five home games that are responsible for an English side in the competition.
Indeed, none of the last 15 French parties to play away from home against an English opponent in Europe has succeeded in winning, with 14 of those who end in defeats.
Luis Enrique, however, drove every idea that his team would be discouraged by the atmosphere in Anfield.
“No player in the team does not want to play here. It is a legendary stadium in the history of football in Europe,” he said.
“It is a huge motivation for the players and as a team. We want to show that we are able to play a good game in the Liverpool stadium.”
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia repeated the feelings of his manager, but said that PSG should be more clinical if they were going to the next round.
“The most important thing in the field is to stay focused on our work and to do our best. It doesn't matter if it is Paris or Anfield, we have to do our best,” he added.
“In the last game we had many opportunities, but we didn't score. This Tuesday we have to be ready for something. As soon as we get the chance to score, we have to score.”
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