Acknowledging a Worthy Opponent

After PSG’s 2-1 victory over Barcelona at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in the second round of the Champions League, Spanish coach Luis Enrique did not hesitate to highlight the quality of the Catalan side.

“They are by no means far behind PSG because of a single result. For me, Barça is clearly one of the favorites to win the Champions League. They play fantastic football, their level is extremely high, and this is just the beginning of the competition,” said the coach during his post-match press conference.

Luis Enrique praised the quality of the encounter, describing it as “a great match.” He added: “When you see two teams that don’t resort to fouls and try to hurt each other through their football, it’s a wonderful sight.”

The former Barcelona manager also emphasized the shared identity between both clubs: “There are very few teams with such a clear identity as PSG and Barcelona.” He even admitted that the hosts were superior early on: “They were better than us until we scored the first goal.”

A Win to Restore Confidence

Following the opening goal against them, PSG raised their level in the second half to claim a crucial away win—something that particularly pleased Luis Enrique, especially after their recent 1-0 defeat in Ligue 1 against Olympique de Marseille.

“Today we played with a lot of young academy players, and it’s a joy to coach a team like this. It doesn’t matter who wears this shirt; what matters is that I felt that mentality and DNA again,” the Spanish coach explained.

He also singled out Nuno Gomes and Achraf Hakimi for praise, calling them “the best in their positions” for the way they broke Barcelona’s press with deep passes and confident ball carrying.

Finally, Luis Enrique thanked Barcelona and club president Joan Laporta for auctioning off the players’ match-worn shirts to raise funds for the Xana Foundation, named after his late daughter, who passed away six and a half years ago.

Mutual Respect at the Highest Level

Luis Enrique’s comments reflect the mutual respect between two of Europe’s elite football projects. Both Barcelona and PSG displayed brave, attacking football without holding back, in a match that could easily be a preview of a decisive Champions League clash later in the season.