Luis Enrique: 'We know exactly what we want to do'
On the eve of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final return leg against FC Barcelona at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on Tuesday 16 April (21:00), the Paris Saint-Germain coach answered questions from the media. Excerpts.
THE FIRST LEG
"I think the result of the first game doesn't really reflect what we deserved, because we could have equalised. After a defeat, the days that follow are inevitably difficult. It's hard to get back into the same physical and mental shape as before. I think the staff, the players, everyone at the club and the fans have all been affected by this defeat, but we have to get back on our feet. It's hard, but we have to accept it. A professional player has to be able to do that. Fortunately, we have a chance to bounce back tomorrow.
THE END OF THE UNBEATEN RUN
"After 27 games in which we hadn't lost, this defeat came. That means we have to pick ourselves up and get ready to perform again. We have to accept the defeat and congratulate Barça. But tomorrow, we want to give our fans plenty to cheer about."
PREPARATIONS FOR THE RETURN LEG
"This second match is a bit different because we didn't have a league game just before, so we've had time to look back at the first leg and prepare for this return leg, which is a good thing. Tomorrow we'll have to show a different version of ourselves and outdo ourselves. We've had time to prepare and now we're ready. Everyone in the team wants to win and we know exactly what we want to do. We're convinced we can turn things around."
THE GAME PLAN
"We'll be pressing from the first few minutes, and they might play some long balls. We'll create chances and Barcelona will also use the back line to cause us problems. So I think tomorrow's game will be similar to the first and there will be goals. I hope it will be an exciting match for the spectators."
THE GROUP'S FRAME OF MIND
"I think I have a very close-knit group of players. They're part of a top-class team and I'm happy with what they do on the pitch. Of course, sometimes they're very good, sometimes not so good. In the course of a match, there are times when we are really superior to our opponents and other times when it's more difficult, as in the first leg. There are different phases in a match. I think tomorrow will be a complicated game for both teams, but our ambition is to qualify. It's going to be a great game of football."