Luis Enrique unfazed by PSG’s poor start to French league season

Paris Saint-Germain have begun their Ligue 1 campaign with only two points from three matches, their poorest start since the 2007-08 season. Friday’s 2-1 home defeat by Monaco left them winless just days before they begin defending their Champions League title.

“

There is no reason to be concerned. I say that honestly. How many shots on target did Monaco have? Two. How many goals? Two. We’ll see at the end of the season whether things balance out.

Luis Enrique, however, said he had no reason to worry. PSG led at halftime but conceded twice after the break, and the coach pointed to Monaco’s limited chances rather than the final score. “There is no reason to be concerned. I say that honestly. How many shots on target did Monaco have? Two. How many goals? Two. We’ll see at the end of the season whether things balance out,” he said.

The coach said PSG had pressed better than in many matches when they had kept clean sheets. “What I want to get across is that you shouldn’t look only at the result,” Luis Enrique said. “We pressed sensationally, much better than in many matches when we did not concede a goal. But luck was not on our side.”

“

What I want to get across is that you shouldn’t look only at the result. We pressed sensationally, much better than in many matches when we did not concede a goal. But luck was not on our side.

He argued that the defeat represented an unusually poor outcome rather than a meaningful performance gap. “Monaco know that if they play against us like this 10 times, we win eight, there’d be one draw and we’d lose once. This was that one defeat,” he said.

“

Monaco know that if they play against us like this 10 times, we win eight, there’d be one draw and we’d lose once. This was that one defeat.

PSG are already seven points off the pace and will host Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday in their first Champions League group match, seeking a third consecutive European title. In 2007-08, the club finished 16th and waited until its sixth league match for a win. Before the new campaign began, PSG extended Luis Enrique’s contract until 2030. “It is incredible motivation for my players, for the team and for the club,” he said. “Seven points? OK, we will try to make up that deficit as quickly as possible.”

“

It is incredible motivation for my players, for the team and for the club. Seven points? OK, we will try to make up that deficit as quickly as possible.