PSG-Lens (3-1): “What I remember is the audacity of the players”, underlines Luis Enrique

2023-08-27 00:35:51

The second at the Parc des Princes will have been the good one. After a tasteless draw against Lorient (0-0), PSG started their season by beating Lens (3-1), thanks in particular to a double from Kylian Mbappé. The capital club progressed from match to match, which delighted Luis Enrique, the coach, in a press conference in the auditorium after the match.

Does this match show exactly what you want to put in place at PSG?

LUIS ENRIQUE. I would always like it to happen like this but in football there are a lot of unforeseen events. A team, even when it’s bad, it’s still your team. What did not miss this evening (Saturday) is the temperament.

What did you appreciate against Lens?

What I remember is the audacity of the players, especially when we were faced with their high pressing. There was a Champions League rhythm. I liked the courage of my players and we created a lot of chances against a team that defended very well. I dedicate this victory to the supporters who have always been behind us.

Will we see Vitinha again in this eccentric role which frees up spaces for Kylian Mbappé?

To attack against Lens, you need amplitude and depth, against any good team for that matter. We had to fix the opponent to give freedom to Kylian Mbappé because that’s how we like him. That’s what we managed to do thanks to this role of Vitinha.

Are you under the spell, like everyone else, of Warren Zaire-Emery?

Clearly, I love it. He is an incredible player despite being only 17 years old. He really has everything to become one of the most important players in the squad. He is very technical and very hardworking. It’s a chance for a coach like me to arrive at a club and come across such a rough diamond available. It is now up to us to accompany him on his way so that he stays at PSG for a very long time. He gives a lot of joy to the fans. This communion, I don’t know if you saw it, was incredible between him and the supporters when not long ago he was among them.

Does Manuel Ugarte also give his full measure?

I don’t think there’s a single supporter who didn’t like our team’s recovery tonight (Saturday). This is due to two things: his individual qualities and that the team puts him in condition to achieve this. The fans were celebrating his actions as assists and it’s very important for us to feel that. It was great like the previous two games.