PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique is worried about the speed of Liverpool’s “fighter jets” in attack and warned his team not to give the ball away in their Champions League clash.
PSG host six-time champion Liverpool in the first leg of the round of 16 at Parc des Princes on Wednesday.
“Liverpool has one of the best counter attacks in Europe so we will try to keep the ball and be careful not to suffer too much from transitions,” Enrique said Tuesday at a pre-match news conference. “They have three fighter jets in attack and it’s not easy to stop these fighter jets.”
Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career with 30 goals in 39 games, and is well supported by Luis Díaz and Cody Gakpo in attack.
“We are facing the team that has played the best football in the group stage. They were the most consistent side,” Enrique said. “Arne Slot has done a great job. He has created a near-perfect team, which knows how to defend, knows how to press, which can attack either by holding the ball or accelerating.”
In a rare admission, Enrique conceded that Liverpool may have the slight edge.
“Liverpool is also able to create danger without the ball, maybe they don’t need it as much we do,” he said. “To impose ourselves we generally need to keep the ball.”
However, PSG are on a 22-game unbeaten run since a 1-0 loss at Bayern Munich in late November. PSG have won their past 10 matches with an eye-watering 40 goals scored in a successfully re-shaped attack since Kylian Mbappe’s departure to Real Madrid.
“The advantage of our forward is that they can play in every position,” said Enrique, whose clever positional switch has allowed Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Bradley Barcola to play alongside Ousmane Dembele in attack.
PSG have much better teamwork in the post-Mbappe era, with Dembele scoring a career-best 26 goals in 33 games. The speedy 19-year-old forward Desire Doue and sharpshooter Gonçalo Ramos provide a threat from the bench. Enrique hopes Liverpool’s players will be rattled in Paris.
“It’s difficult for our opponents to play at Parc des Princes with the pressure,” he said. “The atmosphere is extraordinary and I hope we can profit from it.”
However, Liverpool’s Anfield stadium is one of the toughest places for a return leg, as Lionel Messi’s Barcelona found out in the 2019 semifinals, losing 4-0 after winning 3-0 at home.
Both sides are dominating their respective leagues.
Unbeaten PSG are coasting toward a record-extending 13th French title.
Liverpool are closing in on a record-equaling 20th Premier League title, while a seventh Champions League crown would move them level with AC Milan in second place outright.
PSG lost the only Champions League final in their history 1-0 to Bayern in 2020 in the Coronavirus-shortened campaign.
