Luis Enrique Says PSG’s 3-0 Lead Was No Safety Net Against Man City
Paris Saint-Germain left the Etihad Stadium with a 4-2 Champions League victory over Manchester City, but Luis Enrique warned that a three-goal interval advantage had not made the contest safe. PSG led 3-0 at the break before City mounted a second-half response through Erling Haaland, only for the French champions to see out a six-goal night in Manchester.
PSG overcome City comeback
- PSG produced a commanding opening half and established a 3-0 lead before halftime against Manchester City on Wednesday.
- City improved after the interval, with Haaland scoring twice as the home side attempted to turn the match around.
- PSG also struck the post and failed to convert a penalty during the second half, but still completed a 4-2 win.
Luis Enrique said the match had contained sharply contrasting periods and insisted that an early lead can alter a team’s mentality in an unhelpful way. The PSG coach felt his side displayed the football it wants to play before the break, but did not welcome going in 3-0 ahead.
He said a large halftime margin can lead players to believe the work is done, when that is never true in a Champions League match. PSG suffered considerably after the restart, he added, and City had done enough to merit further goals. With different fortune, Luis Enrique believed his team could even have lost despite its first-half control.
Barcelona next at Parc des Princes
The result sends the reigning two-time European champions into another major League Phase fixture against Barcelona at Parc des Princes next Tuesday. Barcelona are second in the table, and the meeting will reunite Luis Enrique with his former club.
PSG can move closer to their ambition of matching Real Madrid by lifting the Champions League for a third consecutive season. Yet Luis Enrique said October form will not define the campaign. His priority is for PSG to be at their strongest when the season reaches its decisive stage in May.
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick expressed a similar view after his side beat Galatasaray 4-1 on Tuesday. That result maintained Barcelona’s perfect start to the season, with 10 wins across all competitions.
Flick said football can change quickly, while acknowledging Barcelona’s confidence and conviction in their preferred style. He stressed, however, that no major prizes are secured at this point of the calendar, with the trophies decided in May and June rather than during the opening months of the season.
