In advance of Wednesday’s crucial Champions League trip to Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique declared on Tuesday that he was unfazed by the pressure.
For PSG to advance to the next round and prevent qualifying for the Europa League for the first time since Qatari investors acquired the team in 2011, a victory in Germany is a must.
The 2015 Champions League winning manager of Barcelona, Luis Enrique, denied rumors that his job was in jeopardy.
“You shouldn’t sign for a big club as a player or a coach if you don’t want the pressure,” the Spanish coach advised on Tuesday. “Be positive, my friend.”
“I’m here just to enjoy the show; I don’t mind the attention or the pressure.
“We have to play well against a very good team that has already qualified and treat it like a final.”
Dortmund has qualified for the knockout stages, but they still need to win their group and get a better draw for the round of sixteen.
The French champions will need Newcastle and Milan to split the points in their game if PSG loses or draws in order to avoid being eliminated early.
Although Luis Enrique’s team has won eight straight games to lead Ligue 1, PSG has lost its two away Champions League games this year.
“We control the course of events. The Spanish player continued, “We have what it takes to win the game tomorrow. We just need to prove it on the field.”
Not only is Goncalo Ramos doubtful for the game, but PSG will also be without former Dortmund forward Ousmane Dembele.
Ten years into his PSG career, defender Marquinhos has backed his team to advance past the round of sixteen.
“I would have stayed home if I didn’t think the team had the character to succeed.”
“In football, these are the moments you desire.” You create history in this way.
‘Brave’ BVB –
Edin Terzic, the coach of Dortmund, declared his team would be “brave” when facing the pressure-filled French champions.
On Tuesday, Terzic said to reporters, “They know they need a win, but they know we also want the win.”
The coach stated that as a team, his team would have to stop PSG’s “world-class Kylian Mbappe.”
“Playing one-on-one against Kylian Mbappe will always be difficult, regardless of which player does it.”
In September, Mbappe scored as PSG defeated Dortmund 2-0 in Paris, Dortmund’s lone Champions League defeat of the year.
Dortmund are only fifth in the Bundesliga after just one win in their past six games but have impressed in Europe, qualifying from a tough group with a match to spare.
Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck said simply qualifying for the knockouts was not enough.
“If you finish first, you might have an easier opponent,” he said.
PSG eliminated Dortmund in the competition in 2020 but Terzic insisted that in itself was not motivation.
“I find revenge to be the wrong word in sport,” he said.
My motivation stems from wanting to win games and leave the field victorious.
“We aim to present a fantastic game to the fans.”
Dortmund will start the match without a number of players, including suspended captain Emre Can.
Youssoufa Moukoko, Julian Ryerson, Felix Nmecha, and Marius Wolf are all questionable for 2023 due to injury, and Marcel Sabitzer and Marius Wolf are out.
