Luis Enrique says his main job is endeavouring to keep his Paris St Germain players calm ahead of their Champions League semi-final showdown with Borussia Dortmund.
PSG trail 1-0 from the first leg in Germany having already demonstrated their spirit to come back from 4-2 down on aggregate in their quarter-final tie against Barcelona to ultimately win 6-4.
“We can score two goals in a few minutes or we can also concede. If we concede a goal, it doesn’t matter,” the Spanish coach said.
💬 Luis Enrique: “Our fans will be vital! They will be fully behind us, like all season.” 🙌🔴🔵#PSGBVB pic.twitter.com/veMxEZ7pFa
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) May 6, 2024
“We have to stay calm like we were against Barcelona. I think it will be a very high-level match, which will be very competitive, like in the first leg.
“Dortmund are going to press high, so there will definitely be space between the lines. We want to find our best players in areas where they are dangerous.
“We’re trying to relax everyone and above all take advantage of the chance we have to play in a Champions League semi-final.
“You always have to be prepared for things to go wrong and be ready to turn the situation around. Tomorrow, faced with any situation, I am convinced that my team will fight.”
Enrique said the home fans at the Parc des Princes were “vital” to PSG’s hopes of a turnaround.
“We have an absolute guarantee that our supporters will be behind us, as they have been throughout the season, including when we really needed them,” he said.
“I’m waiting for this atmosphere that we know at the Parc des Princes and I hope that on Tuesday evening we will be able to celebrate the qualification with them.”
Lucas Hernandez, who suffered a tear in his left anterior cruciate ligament during the first leg, has started his long road to recovery after undergoing surgery.
PSG have already enjoyed one home win over Dortmund this season, beating Tuesday’s opponents 2-0 when they visited during the group stages back in September.
Dortmund coach Edin Terzic was confident his side had come along way since then, but admitted they still lacked consistency – which is why they reached the last four of the Champions League but sit only fifth in the Bundesliga.
Halfway there. pic.twitter.com/OHGFmTbq0N
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) May 6, 2024
“I think we are the team in the Bundesliga that has collected the fewest points against sides in the top five, but in the Champions League we did a fantastic job so far,” he said.
“We know we are ready to win games, we’ve shown that this season, it doesn’t matter if it’s home or away. The thing we didn’t show is that we’re ready to win every game.
“That is why we are struggling in the Bundesliga but also why we’re sat here talking about a Champions League semi-final.”
