The Paris Saint-Germaian coach, Luis Enrique Martínez, assured that they face with confidence, “very prepared”, the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Real Sociedad, which he considered a great team, led by a great coach.
The Spanish coach praised his colleague Imanol Alguacil and highlighted that he has been in the position for six years compared to six months, but did not want to indicate which of the two will be the favorite.
«Imanol, whom I know well, is a great coach, he is at home, with a club philosophy, using local players and signing well, balanced. They have been playing good football for six years, even before, with other coaches,” Luis Enrique said in the press conference prior to the clash.
«They are collecting the award for their good work as a club. We have to congratulate them and I hope that tomorrow they don’t play so well,” added the coach, who indicated that the key will be to “take the ball away from them as soon as possible, which is very difficult, and lose it as little as possible.”
Luis Enrique praised Real’s good group stage, “which finished first in a group that included the finalist of the last edition” and pointed out that it is “one of the teams that has conceded the fewest goals, does not give the ball away and “When he does, he is aggressive to get it back.”
But he denied that PSG, with a larger budget, is the favorite: “That has to be demonstrated on the field.”
The coach did not want to respond to the possibility that tomorrow will be Kylian Mbappé’s last game in the Champions League at the Parc des Princes, if the club is eliminated and the player decides to leave at the end of the season.
«I don’t feel like I have a special joy or sadness or character. “He is as always,” said the coach, who confirmed that the French striker will be in the group despite the blow he suffered last week since he reserved him this Saturday against Lille.
«When a team has a player of Kylian’s caliber, the only thing we can understand is that the more he plays the better, for the benefit of the team. I would have been able to play on Saturday if it had been a final, but it wasn’t and it wasn’t worth taking risks. “Now he is at the coach’s disposal,” he said.
Luis Enrique, who after barely achieving qualification assured that his team would be better in February, pointed out that they face the duel against Real “naturally, normally” and that the team is growing.
«We are in a process of learning, of knowledge, that lasts months. We can feel that we are prepared, we are going to compete tomorrow, we are going to create a football environment with the fans suitable to try to be better than Real Sociedad,” he indicated.
He highlighted that now the competition “has entered a different moment in which consistency is not rewarded, in two games you have to be better than your rival.”
“We feel that we are very prepared, all the players are ready to be starters and that for me is a guarantee that the team is prepared,” he commented.
Luis Enrique reiterated his club’s philosophy: “When we attack we are eleven forwards and, when we defend, eleven defenders.” EFE
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