Paris St Germain manager Luis Enrique brushed off criticism of his side’s Champions League performances ahead of Tuesday’s clash with PSV Eindhoven.
PSG suffered a 2-0 defeat at Arsenal in round two of the competition after beginning their campaign by scraping an unconvincing 1-0 win over tournament debutants Girona thanks to a last-gasp own goal.
While Enrique acknowledges his team have significant room for improvement, he has been satisfied with their European displays so far.
“I think we played very well against Girona,” he said, according to PSG’s website.
“We didn’t play how we wanted to against Arsenal, but I’m happy with what I’ve seen from my team in the competition since the start of the season.
“There’s a lot of room for improvement, but I’m very optimistic.”
PSG top the Ligue 1 table following six wins and two draws from eight fixtures on the back of Saturday’s 4-2 success over Strasbourg.
Dutch champions PSV travel to Parc des Princes with nine victories from nine games in the Eredivisie but with only one Champions League point after a 3-1 loss to Juventus and a 1-1 draw with Sporting Lisbon.
🎙️⚽️ Press conference at the Campus ahead of Paris Saint-Germain 🆚 PSV Eindhoven 🔴🔵 https://t.co/kCHEO9hYym
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) October 21, 2024
“The Champions League is a very difficult competition, but we’re playing at home and we want to get a positive result,” continued Enrique.
“We are going into the game with a lot of motivation, with optimism, to try and get the three points.
“We expect a tough game. They’re a very good team, without a doubt. They’re strong in their domestic league, they have incredible stats.
“I think it’ll be a game like the Strasbourg one, not very comfortable.”
PSG forward Randal Kolo Muani impressed for France during this month’s international break but has struggled for game time at club level and was absent at the weekend due to a minor ankle issue.
Enrique swerved a question on the 25-year-old, who scored twice in his country’s 2-1 Nations League win over Belgium after providing an assist in a 4-1 victory over Israel, during his pre-match press conference.
“Everyone is available so any of them can play,” replied the coach when asked specifically about Kolo Muani’s potential involvement.
Long-term absentees Lucas Hernandez and Goncalo Ramos remain sidelined, while defender Presnel Kimpembe is back training with the squad, having not featured since February 2023 due to injuries.
PSG attacking midfielder Lee Kang-in, who scored as a substitute against Strasbourg, said: “Every match is a final for us in this competition.
“We are going to try and give the best of ourselves to get the three points.”
