PSG Boss Luis Enrique Eyes Crucial Champions League Match Against Manchester City

PSG manager Luis Enrique acknowledges the importance of the upcoming Champions League match against Manchester City, recognizing it as a crucial game in determining both teams' futures in the competition.

Luis Enrique Hopes PSG's Clash with Manchester City Isn't Season-Defining

Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique expressed his desire for the upcoming Champions League clash against Manchester City not to be the most crucial match of their season. The highly anticipated encounter will see Enrique face off against his friend and former colleague, Pep Guardiola. The two managers have a long history, having played together at Barcelona and for Spain, and later working together at Barcelona, where Enrique coached the B team under Guardiola's leadership.

Enrique acknowledged the significance of the match, not only due to its importance for both teams but also because of his personal connection with Guardiola. “Tomorrow is a special match, not just because of the importance for the two teams but because I will be up against a friend who I played with for many years and we crossed paths as coaches,” Enrique told reporters ahead of Wednesday's game.

Both PSG and Manchester City have struggled in the Champions League this season, with PSG currently sitting on seven points and 25th in the standings, just outside the knockout phase playoff zone. Manchester City is one point ahead in 22nd place. Despite the high stakes, Enrique hopes that the match against Manchester City will not be the most important one of their season. Instead, he envisions a more significant match in the next phase of the competition, with the trophy on the line. “I hope the most important match is not the one against Manchester City, I hope it will be in the next phase of the competition at a very high level with the trophy at stake. That is what I hope for,” Enrique said.

PSG Boss Luis Enrique Eyes Crucial Clash Against Manchester City

PSG manager Luis Enrique is well aware of the significance of the upcoming Champions League match against Manchester City, recognizing that it could be a pivotal game in determining the future of both clubs in the competition. Enrique acknowledged the importance of the match, saying, “I hope to have other more important games, but this is a special game because in the new format of the Champions League I don't think anyone could predict that City would have this number of points ahead of match day seven.”

Luis Enrique spoke to PSG TV on the eve of the match against City! 🎙️

🔜 #PSGMCI I #UCL

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— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) January 21, 2025

Enrique also highlighted the unpredictability of the new Champions League format, noting that it is difficult to determine how many points will be required to qualify for the next round. He stated, “But that is football and that is the new format. Right now we don't know how many points we will need to qualify, nobody can say. Maybe after this match day we will know that.” PSG's chances of advancing to the next round have been compromised by losses away to Arsenal and Bayern Munich, but Enrique believes that the team's struggles at home have been more costly.

Enrique identified the draw against PSV Eindhoven and the defeat by Atletico Madrid, both of which occurred at home, as the games that have really hindered PSG's progress in the Champions League. He emphasized, “We should have won the games against PSV and Atletico at home. That is the reality.” Enrique acknowledged that football is not always straightforward, saying, "On the pitch, they were two games we should have won but football isn't as simple as that." He estimated that if PSG had secured the five points from those two games, they would already be in a position to qualify for the next round, stating, “With those five points we would already be qualifying for the next round.”