The result marks a worrying turnaround in the form of the European champions, just five days before they host Chelsea for the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 at the Parc des Princes.
Unusual mistakes cost PSG dearly.
The Parisians were only a shadow of themselves on Friday evening, appearing apathetic and at fault against an impeccable Monegasque team. Despite a goal from Bradley Barcola, the performance was marred by unusual errors and a palpable lack of fighting spirit, causing frustration among the Parc des Princes crowd when the final whistle blew. It was their first home defeat in the league this season, and their seventh in all competitions.
A lack of concentration at the Parc des Princes.
This defeat reignites the debate: is PSG ready to defend its title on the European scene? Asked about the psychological origin of the problem, Enrique was direct to L’Équipe: “Clearly, when there are difficulties, it’s the head that drops first. It’s common. It’s a strange, unpleasant feeling, but you have to tell yourself that it’s just a match. We’re always looking for the key to understanding why we miss opportunities, but it’s multifactorial. Confidence cannot be bought… it must be built day after day. We are in difficulty, but we must remain hopeful that we will change the situation. »
No excuses about training
This slump comes at a particularly worrying time for PSG, which has been struggling to find its regularity for several weeks. An article from RMC Sport suggests that the Parisian club’s technical staff had already noted performances and behavior below expectations during training sessions preceding the match against Monaco. Despite these warning signs, Enrique remains determined to support his players in their preparation for European competition.
Asked about the possibility that the problem came from the preparation for the week, the former FC Barcelona player quickly ruled out this hypothesis: “No, not in training. Training is not the same as a match. But I want to say that I don’t want to lose confidence in this team. I think we showed that mentality of never giving up until the end. While we had chances to turn things around, we conceded another goal, which complicated things and sealed the fate of the match. This is not the best result to approach a Champions League match, we are aware of that, but we will do everything to remedy it. »
