PSG boss Luis Enrique reacts to a 'good' Arsenal 0 - 1 PSG 1st leg result [English]
29/04/2025
Emirates Stadium, London, UK
29/04/2025
Emirates Stadium, London, UK
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SportsTranscript
00:00Hello.
00:01Good evening.
00:02I'm ready for you.
00:03So, I'm from L'Equipe.
00:08How is Ousmane Dembele doing?
00:12No, not telling you.
00:14Don't know anything.
00:16...se os informará en su debido momento.
00:19Pero no es nada grave, es algo muy ligero.
00:22Seguramente será duda para el partido de vuelta.
00:26No, I can't say anything because I don't really know.
00:31Tomorrow we'll have the medical tests that we need
00:33and then we'll be able to give you an update regarding how he's doing.
00:36But nothing serious.
00:37It's just a niggle.
00:38But yeah, we just need to think about the second leg.
00:41Good evening.
00:43I am from L'Equipe.
00:45Let's talk about the match this evening.
00:47We saw a PSG that dominated and was very strong down the back.
00:51You spoke about the work on set pieces and you're very highly performing.
00:55Are you proud of your team in this respect?
00:57And do you think that it is a positive result coming out of tonight?
01:01Or is there a little bit of regret with regards of maybe a second goal?
01:05I think that the game has had different phases.
01:12Clearly the start of the game was in an environment, in an impressive stadium,
01:17with a loud noise.
01:19I think that the start of the game has been wonderful for us.
01:23We were able to make a bad part.
01:25We've taken a lot of pressure.
01:26We're going to make a little run.
01:27We have taken a lot of pressure.
01:29We need to make a lot of control.
01:31with some opportunities and possibilities to do some more.
01:35We've had a shot in the first part, but in the second part,
01:39there have been phases in which Arsenal has not been able to dominate
01:43and has always had that danger in all the actions of the ball,
01:47be it as well as corners, any action that automatically launches long.
01:51I think we've defended them well.
01:55The result is good, it could be better, it could be worse,
01:59it could be better.
02:07I think the match had different phases at the beginning.
02:11There was an incredible atmosphere in the stadium.
02:13It was deafening the noise in the stadium.
02:15It was wonderful for us.
02:17We got off to a flying start with a goal that we scored.
02:19There was a high press.
02:21The goal actually gave us a boost of confidence that we needed in the first half.
02:25We had a hand over the game.
02:27I think that following this, the second half was littered with chances.
02:31And then in the second half, Arsenal were able to dominate it a bit more.
02:35They were dangerous, especially for set pieces, with the fouls,
02:39with the corners and with those long balls.
02:41It could have been worse, it could have been better.
02:43But you know what, let's wait for the second leg.
02:45Good evening.
02:47Do you think that it's your collective resistance that helped you take the win home this evening?
02:53So the fact that you guys can stick together.
02:57I think that I've been telling you what I've been telling you about.
03:03You can win, you can lose.
03:07You can win, you can lose.
03:09But we compete in every field and we try to bring the game to what we are the best.
03:13I think that today we've been able to see a lot of players to win a high level.
03:19Great defensive work of the puntas, great defensive work of the mediocampists,
03:26great defensive work of the general work of all.
03:31You can't win a player in the house of Arsenal, a player of this level,
03:35and not start to question or start to evaluate how many efforts you do.
03:40No, efforts maximum, with and without ball.
03:43I think we've shown a very good version with ball, with a lot of personality,
03:47and a even better version without ball,
03:51being very solid, defending with help.
03:53The players from Saka, Martinelli and Odegaard,
03:57you need to defend them with help, because otherwise you'll have problems.
04:07I think that I've actually shared the feeling that I got from the team.
04:11It's a team that regardless of the situation they find themselves in,
04:14win or lose, they're extremely competitive.
04:17We were trying to play things to our favour with the qualities that we have.
04:21This evening we saw wonderful work being done, both individually and as a team.
04:25Defensively, we had the attackers working hard.
04:29We also had midfielders getting up front, and everyone got back to defend when they needed to.
04:34It's impossible to come and play against Arsenal and a team such as Arsenal.
04:39We were being hesitant, and we tried to give it our all when we had the ball,
04:45and when we hadn't the ball as well.
04:47And I think that we were actually even better without the ball,
04:49which means that we were helping each other out, everyone was together.
04:52And when we had to defend, everyone got back,
04:55because you cannot defend against Saka or against Martinelli or against Odegaard
04:59if you're not getting everyone back to defend.
05:03Good evening up here.
05:05Artur from RMC.
05:06Do you think that the hardest has been done tonight?
05:10And how are you anticipating the second leg?
05:13What will be your strategy?
05:14How are we going to keep your players motivated, that head up?
05:16Because I imagine that nothing is set in stone as a answer.
05:20Do you think that the hardest has been done?
05:23And then, from there to the next week,
05:26how are you going to boost this motivation?
05:30I think that the first goal of the first game has been achieved.
05:36I repeat, the result could have been a comeback and nothing would have happened.
05:40It could have been a 0-2.
05:42So, this is the result, nobody can change it.
05:45The goal now is to win the next game against Arsenal.
05:52Obviously, we don't have to speculate anything.
05:54Because a goal in a normal action,
05:57in a second one,
05:58and the game is equal,
06:00or the eliminator.
06:01So, we didn't have to lose when we lost in Anfield 0-1.
06:06We lost in Anfield 0-1,
06:08in Paris,
06:09and we went to Anfield to win the game.
06:12Now, we have to win the game against Arsenal.
06:14We have to win the game against Arsenal,
06:16because it is possible that Arsenal can win the game against Arsenal.
06:20They don't have nothing to lose.
06:22They are behind the eliminator.
06:23It will be a second round of the semifinal.
06:27It is a passion for the football players,
06:29and a little more suffering for the players.
06:50The result is what it is,
06:51a 1-0,
06:52and nobody can actually take tonight's win away from us.
06:54But our objective,
06:55there's only one of them,
06:56is that to win the second leg at home as well.
06:59And with Arsenal,
07:01we cannot let our guard down.
07:03We cannot be complacent.
07:04This is a team that can completely rewrite history in one second.
07:07They can score a goal quickly,
07:09and then we'd be back to square one.
07:10When we received Liverpool,
07:13they were leading 1-0,
07:15and actually we didn't let our guard down,
07:17and we know exactly how that game turned out.
07:19So nothing is in the bag yet.
07:20We need to win when we're at home,
07:22because we're going to be playing against a team that has got nothing to lose.
07:25And this second leg is going to be wonderful,
07:28not only for the fans,
07:29but also a time of suffering for me as a coach.
07:33RTL,
07:35if we think about the return leg
07:40now against Aston Villa,
07:42do you think that this has helped your players collectively
07:45from a mindset aspect,
07:47because they were leading very, very quickly,
07:51and then they were able to have a better hand over the game
07:53for the highs and the lows?
07:55We've repeated some actions of the game in Birmingham.
07:58We could have scored 3-3.
08:00I remember a hand of Ousmane Dembélé,
08:02who was out of the game for a millimeter.
08:04I remember a 1-1 of Desiree Douai
08:06in the minute 80 and pico.
08:08We could have started that game 3-3.
08:10There were only 10-15 minutes
08:12in which the rival was about to be able to win.
08:16The rest, I think...
08:18In that second part,
08:20I also saw many things that I saw today.
08:22We are a team that tries to play well at football,
08:25because it's the best way to achieve results.
08:29It's the best way that we consider
08:31by the profile of the players that we have.
08:33That's what we like to our fans.
08:35We can feel it.
08:36We see each game.
08:37And, I repeat,
08:39it's a great joy for us to make this result
08:42in the first game.
08:43But,
08:44this is nothing more than to start.
08:46There is still a game back,
08:48in which,
08:49there will be opportunities for the two teams.
08:52I saw a couple of things that I saw at Bingham as well.
09:03In Bingham, we could have had a draw.
09:05We could have also had a 3-0.
09:07I saw Dembélé was about 8 meters offside.
09:10I also saw Desiree Douai proving just how dangerous he can be as well.
09:13So, once again, against Aston Villa,
09:15we had 10 or 15 minutes where the opponent could have snatched it away from us,
09:19but that wasn't the way it went.
09:21I also saw similar things today.
09:23We are a team.
09:24We also,
09:25we always try and play the best way possible,
09:27and I think that that's what our fans love.
09:29It's something that we see.
09:30It's something that lights their fire.
09:32Therefore,
09:33that the game has only just begun.
09:35We do have a second act coming where both teams are going to try and steal the spotlight.
09:41Last question.
09:42Yes,
09:43over here from the Keeper.
09:44What do you think about Donnarumma this evening?
09:47So, he wasn't actually called upon that much,
09:50but every time he was.
09:52It was very positive.
09:54I think we've made three changes.
09:56I'm wrong.
09:57Three or four.
09:58I don't know.
09:5914 or 15 players have played.
10:00I'd like to highlight 14 or 15.
10:02One is not able to achieve and achieve a result like we have achieved in London,
10:12if you have 14 or 15 players completely convinced of what we have to do.
10:17Then, it's evident that there are players that have brilled more.
10:20It's evident that when you play outside of home and against a rival
10:24that uses all the actions of the ballpark to generate problems,
10:28you need to have a player of high level.
10:30That's what we have.
10:32And I don't like to individualize only on the player.
10:35I think that all the players, the defensive line,
10:37the three middle campers, Warren, who has also come out,
10:40the three fronters,
10:41I think that all the team, in general,
10:43has shown the necessary mentality to achieve this result.
10:47I really want to underline the work of 14 or 15 players.
10:57I can't even remember if I made three or four subs.
11:00We wouldn't have got to this result in London without the 14 or 15 players
11:05completely convinced of what they needed to do.
11:07Obviously, there were some players that shone a little bit more than others.
11:10And when you're playing away against a rival that is so dangerous on set pieces,
11:14obviously, you need a titan in goal.
11:17But I had wonderful defense as well.
11:19Incredible defense.
11:20Incredible midfield.
11:21Warren as well, who came on.
11:22It was great.
11:23Three incredible attackers.
11:25Therefore, I think everyone showed that they had the mindset necessary
11:28to get the result for this evening.
11:30Thank you very much.
11:31Have a wonderful rest of your evening.