PSG coach Luis Enrique has praised Barcelona’s strength on the eve of their Champions League clash, but stressed that his team aims to end the Catalans’ positive run. The Spanish coach singled out Lamine Yamal and Pedri as players who can make the difference.
In the pre-match press conference, Enrique emphasised that the fixture is important but cannot be considered a final, as the competition is still in its early stages.
“The format of the tournament means we face each other at this stage, but this is not a final,” he said.
The PSG coach also spoke about Barcelona’s talent, Lamine Yamal, praising his development and stressing that he should not be compared with Lionel Messi.
“Lamine is doing very well by trying to be himself. If you compare him with Messi, the best player of all time, any other footballer would be lost. He must aim to be the best version of himself,” Enrique declared.
As for how to stop the young forward, he was clear: “We must not let him get the ball, because he becomes very dangerous. Our aim is to not let Barcelona have possession of the ball.”
Enrique also praised the work of Hansi Flick, noting that Barcelona has many quality players, including Raphinha and Pedri. For the Spanish midfielder, he made a special comparison: “Pedri is like Harry Potter. I hope he doesn’t use his magic wand.”
Finally, the coach confirmed PSG’s ambition to be the team that beats Barcelona for the first time this season.
“This is an extra motivation for us. We want to be the only team that manages to beat Barcelona,” Luis Enrique concluded.