On the eve of a new European shock at the Parc des Princes against Newcastle, during the 5th day of Group C of the Champions League, Paris Saint-Germain could officially lock its ticket for the round of 16 of the competition in the event of victory against the Magpies and if AC Milan fails to beat Borussia Dortmund. While the Rouge et Bleu fell violently in the first leg at St James Park (4-1), Luis Enrique’s players hope to send a clear message on Tuesday evening by taking their revenge against Eddie Howe’s troops, who have just slapping Chelsea in the Premier League last weekend: “Their physical data is always at this level, they are always very strong physically, they put pressure on the opposing camp. We know we have to be ready. Our objective is always the same regardless of the match: keep the ball in the opponent’s half, prevent opportunities for the opponent, keep the ball very far from the goals. We will have to have a very high level tomorrow”explained Luis Enrique at a press conference at the Poissy center this Monday.
Scorer against AS Monaco, Ousmane Dembélé has received a lot of criticism since the start of the season due to statistics that are too low compared to the talent of the former Dortmund player. Now that the thorn of the first goal under the Parisian colors has been removed from his foot, Dembélé can string together great performances. At least that’s what Luis Enrique, number 1 fan of his player, hopes: “It’s a 100% Dembélé goal. Outside foot control, pigeon wing, oriented control, then shot under the crossbar. It’s very good news for him, it’s also all the good vibes that it creates around him. For me, he’s the most unbalanced player in the world and it’s such a pleasure to have such a player.”had thus launched the 53-year-old Spaniard, totally seduced by his protégé who has 1 goal and 4 assists in 16 matches played in all competitions at the start of the season.
The crazy love between a player and his coach!
Since the start of the season, even in Dembélé’s complicated passages, Luis Enrique has never let go of his player. He never stopped supporting him, defending him and analyzing his indispensable status for the team. And a few days after his goal against Monaco, the Spanish coach had it again: “I wanted to recruit him when he was at Rennes but he didn’t want to come to Barça because there was a lot of competition. He’s a different, unique player. He always asks for the ball, he is never afraid to do things, accepts criticism. It’s a chance to have a player like him. He is different from Barça because here he does not only play on the side but also in the center. He generates so much for the team that assists or goals don’t matter. He is the most unbalancing player in the world”explained the Spanish coach at a press conference.
Also present at a press conference this Monday, the midfielder, Vitinha, also praised his teammate Ousmane Dembélé, pointing out his importance for the collective system of the team on the pitch but also for the cohesion of the group in the Parisian locker room: “most importantly, beyond the great player that everyone knows, he is a great man. We can laugh, we can count on him off the field too and that’s very important because it does the group good. He is an important player for us. He is a great technical player who unbalances, an important piece in our team”, declared the Portuguese midfielder. In any case, if he has not always been perfect in matches this season, Dembélé can enjoy unwavering internal support.
