Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique maintained optimism regarding his team’s potential to advance to the final despite a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final.
“The game of football can be unpredictable. Sometimes it dazzles, and other times, as tonight, it’s a bit lackluster.
Naturally, we would have preferred a different outcome, but overall, it was a closely contested match,” remarked the Spaniard in an interview with Canal Plus.
Despite PSG’s dominance in possession and more attempts on goal, they were frustrated by poor finishing and perhaps a stroke of bad luck, as both Kylian Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi hit the woodwork in quick succession during the second half.
“No one said it would be easy to reach the Champions League semi-finals.
The atmosphere in the locker room is subdued. We had a moment where we hit both posts,” noted Luis Enrique.
Despite this setback, PSG’s track record offers hope. They’ve only suffered five defeats this season and have previously overturned deficits, such as their comeback against Barcelona in the quarterfinals after trailing in the first leg.
Looking ahead to the second leg in Paris, PSG’s captain Marquinhos stressed the importance of capitalizing on scoring opportunities, particularly after squandering clear chances in the away fixture.
“While playing here is always challenging, we’ve demonstrated in the past that we can reverse situations, especially with the backing of our supporters at home.
The atmosphere will be different, and we must make the most of our opportunities,” stated Marquinhos.
However, concerns arose as defender Lucas Hernandez picked up an injury during the match, leading to his substitution in the first half.
Luis Enrique expressed apprehension about the extent of the injury, suggesting it could be serious based on initial assessments.
