PSG’s Luis Enrique: ‘I have never experienced a match with this intensity.’
PSG’s Luis Enrique: ‘I have never experienced a match with this intensity. ’ “I am tired even though I haven’t run like the players,” said Luis Enrique at the end of a breathless UEFA Champions League semi-final first-leg against Bayern Munich, at the end of which Paris Saint-Germain came out on top (5-4). It could have been different.
“We deserved to win, we deserved to draw, and we also deserved to lose the match,” added the PSG manager. Bayern Munich took the lead through Harry Kane’s penalty and, soon after, Michael Olise almost doubled the Bundesliga side’s advantage. But PSG came roaring back.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia curled a goal into the far corner and then Joao Neves’ near-post header gave his side the lead. Olise levelled up before a controversial penalty, dispatched by Ousmane Dembélé, ensured that Les Parisiens would go into the break ahead. PSG then put their foot on the accelerator upon their return from the dressing room.
Kvaratskhelia doubled his account in the 56th minute and Dembélé did the same two minutes later, extending his side’s lead to three goals. But the German giants would come roaring back, with Dayot Upamecano and Luís Diaz scoring in quick succession to reduce the deficit to just one. That is how it stayed, with PSG ensuring that they take a slender advantage to the Allianz Arena next week.
“It was a different match, with two teams at an incredible level. Both teams showed the football that they love […] The rhythm of this match was different to normal […] as a manager, I have never experienced a match with this intensity, with this desire to win, and I think that all of the supporters, regardless of who they support, were happy to see this kind of show,” said Luis Enrique in his post-match media duties. GFFN | Luke Entwistle