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Luis Enrique is Confident About Staging a Comeback Against FC Barcelona
Paris Saint-Germain's coach, Luis Enrique Martínez, affirmed in the pre-match press conference ahead of the Champions League quarter-final second leg that his counterpart at Barcelona, Xavi Hernández, is a top-notch coach, and the results back that up.
While in the previous pre-match conference, the Asturian coach claimed he embodied the spirit of Barça better, six days later, he chose to praise the Barcelona-born coach.
"I'll never get to know Xavi the coach because he won't be able to train me. I also mentioned that I would've liked him to, but that didn't get much attention because it doesn't sell or interest; controversy does. I made my claim, and I stand by it because one defeat doesn't change anything, and I repeat that I would've liked him to have trained me, like Guardiola, Aragonés..." he stated.
He appreciated Xavi's words from the previous press conference, where Xavi mentioned that the current PSG coach, Pep Guardiola, and Luis Aragonés had been his references.
"I appreciate it. He was someone who was a great help, behaved perfectly, and contributed as a player in my first season as Barça's coach," he added.
He also celebrated the level of the eight coaches, four of whom have a Barça past, leading teams fighting to qualify for the semi-finals: "It's a delight for football that all eight coaches offer such a goal-scoring spectacle."
Regarding Tuesday's match at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium, Luis Enrique expressed confidence that his team would be able to overturn the 2-3 deficit they will start the quarter-final second leg against Barcelona with.
"From the get-go, we don't speculate, and that word 'tomorrow' doesn't exist for us. We're convinced we'll turn it around," he emphasized.
Nevertheless, the Spanish coach acknowledged that after falling at the Parc des Princes, it was tough for his players to "recover their mental state," although he specified that they are facing the match "in a very good moment."
In this regard, he added: "There's no need to exaggerate or make a fuss when you lose. I have no doubt that we'll compete and bring joy to our fans.
The Gijón-born coach foresees a similar game to the first leg, with Barcelona trying to overcome his team's pressure with balls into space to Lewandowski, and he envisions a game with goals.
"The urgency of both teams during the match might make for an exciting game, but perhaps less so for the coaches," he acknowledged.
Luis Enrique would have liked to play the passage to the semi-final at the Camp Nou - "a unique and mythical stadium," he said - although he clarified that the Lluís Companys Stadium is also "a stage worthy of the encounter."