How to approach the match: “With normality. The scenario is very attractive, like the city and the competition. After the press conference, we will take advantage of a training session. It will definitely be special, the day before the match, in the stadium we will play in tomorrow… I can’t wait.”
Expectations around Kylian Mbappé: “Expectations towards him? I expect my players to be up to the task. I see the team with confidence, the objective is clear, to win the match, and it will be complicated. If he has changed since he announced his departure? Tomorrow’s match is more important. (…) Getting used to playing without Mbappé sooner or later, also in the Champions League? Maybe yes, maybe no… (…) Any impact on the team? You have to accept questions from journalists and you answer what you want (smile).”
Can PSG do without Mbappé in the Champions League as in Ligue 1: Luis Enrique pretends not to understand the question asked in French and demands a translation into Spanish. The journalist repeats himself. A Spanish colleague ended up translating. “Maybe yes, maybe no,” replies a smiling and teasing Enrique.
The experience or form of the players to determine the starting 11: “Experience? What does it mean ? That young people can’t play well? I take into account what I see in training, during the week, in Monaco… The matches before also count but I don’t focus on age.
The mental aspect before the return match: “Return matches are always difficult. Even with more favorable results than a 2-0… It can be complicated if you don’t have the right attitude, with concentration. This is what we will try to avoid. We have to work on all aspects, offensive, defensive… But we are in a very good moment. I can count on the 23 players for tomorrow.
Nuno Mendes: “Potential starter? We do the normal process after his injury. He could start, not to play 90 minutes. We are very happy because he brings a different profile, top offensively and defensively. I’m happy for the team but especially for him because I know it’s complicated when you’re injured for a long time.”
Strong and weak: “We need to improve the weak points. We are in a normal process of improvement, we have room to progress, but it is the best moment for us, it is like a final to play. We are in the best moment of the season and I hope that we continue to progress and play better and better.”
What to do better than the first leg: “If we do the same thing as the first leg, it will be 2-0. Outside, there are things to know, a goal can change everything. We must be ready for anything. It will undoubtedly be complicated because of the level of Real, the atmosphere, the opposing coach… But we dream of experiencing these moments. We have to be professional. This is the kind of atmosphere we want to face. We want to be ambitious and not speculate. It’s not hard to understand, I have the same message to the players: winning the match is the key to making it as easy as possible.”
Comments collected at a press conference
