Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique was complimentary of opponents AC Milan ahead of their Champions League meeting, labelling them a ‘great team’.
A big test awaits for Milan as they make the trip to the French capital looking to put the 1-0 defeat against Juventus behind them but also knowing how important it is to get a win on the board in the Champions League group stages.
PSG – who are third in the league with five wins from their first nine games – have won one and lost one in Europe so far, with the 4-1 defeat against Newcastle last time out showing just how open the group is.
Enrique spoke at his press conference on the eve of the game at the Parc des Princes tomorrow night and he answered questions from the journalists present, with his comments relayed by MilanNews.
How do you judge Milan?
“The value of Milan is that it is a great team, they have always played in great competitions and like all teams they have ups and downs. In my opinion Milan are doing very well now… how they play with the ball. That’s why they say this is the group of death, because everyone can pass.”
How important will tomorrow’s game be?
“A match like any other match can be important for everyone. We are happy with what we are doing, now we have two direct clashes. Until the end of the group it will not be known who will qualify.
“For us they are two very important matches because they will affect the circumstances of the remaining two. We are now thinking one match at a time, we will play in our stadium, in front of our fans and we will have to play better than Milan to win.”
What formation will you use?
“I don’t focus on one player or one position, the important thing is to have competition between the players in every area of the pitch. We have several options, for me as a coach it’s a privilege to be in this position. Then we have to try to play the best you can.”
What is PSG’s playing philosophy?
“We are always a team that attack, that always had possession of the ball. It’s a message that the players already know: we must always attack more than the opponent, but we must also know how to defend.
“Pressing is important knowing how to use it, that’s why I’m here and the players have understood it. I’m optimistic about what I see and feel, when I watch my players train, how they live and we always have to improve. But I’m optimistic.”
What are the team’s objectives?
“We can always improve, but I see that our fans appreciate when they see that when the team recovers the ball high. They love that we play with high pressing, that we are always with our foot forward, that we attack. They appreciate our courage, we must always be able to play like this the whole game.”
Does Donnarumma still have room for improvement?
“We all have the opportunity to improve. Before arriving in Paris I knew that Donnarumma was one of the top goalkeepers in the world, I had already met him as an opponent. Of course he can improve, professionally and personally. But he is already very strong and I am very happy to have him.”
Which Milan player would you ‘steal’ and have at PSG?
“Nobody, because they are Milan players and not PSG. And they don’t want to take anyone because they would all get angry and that’s not the case.
“Milan plays with a 4-3-3 playing with and without the ball, they know how to do both phases but sometimes they have changed. They did it last year with Tottenham, if I’m not mistaken also in the league.
“One of the options we know is that they can always change. We will try to attack in the same way and possibly adapt to their changes.”
