Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) head coach Luis Enrique recently gave his opinions in a news conference prior to the team’s Champions League quarterfinal matchup with Aston Villa. He underlined that there are no favorites in this knockout stage and said he hopes his squad would perform as well as they did against Liverpool in the first leg of the round of 16, even if they lost by a slim margin at home.
Enrique remarked, “That is the match I would like us to emulate, only changing the outcome,” in reference to PSG’s sole loss in 2025—a 1-0 setback to the Reds. “We are just as much favorites as we were against Liverpool, who the betting odds claimed had the upper hand,” the seasoned manager said, acknowledging the tournament’s competitive nature. The road is full of favorites that didn’t make it, and there are eight teams here that have earned their spot. The true difficulty is to prove ourselves on the field, which is our responsibility.
The defensive prowess of both sides is similar, according to Enrique, who also praised Aston Villa’s style of play and manager Unai Emery. “We are able to exert intense pressure, play in the midfield zone, and defend deep. He said, “It’s an open and challenging tie for both sides,” emphasizing his team’s versatility in taking on a variety of opponents with their young but experienced roster.
“He is one of the best coaches in the world, with an impressive track record, having won numerous trophies, and he pays attention to every detail,” he said in reference to Emery. Under his leadership, Aston Villa has made great progress in the past two years and is deserving of their quarterfinal berth.
The influence of winter additions, such as Marco Asensio, who was loaned to Aston Villa after losing favor at PSG, was also discussed by Enrique. “I know him better than anyone because I picked him for the national team and took him to a World Cup, even though it’s true that he wasn’t playing many minutes. He is still a fantastic player with indisputable technical and tactical skill, and he has always been significant to me,” Enrique said.
With an optimistic outlook, the PSG coach said, “We will continue to showcase a strong version of PSG, playing with the same intensity, if not more.” Although he stated that controlling the players’ emotions is his main responsibility, Enrique agreed that there was a noticeable intensity in the training sessions before the Champions League. “There is a lot of excitement around the players, and we need to learn to channel that energy for our benefit,” he said.
“It’s a point of pride, but what matters is to continue improving and to earn many more games in charge,” Enrique said as he got ready for his 100th game as PSG’s manager.
