PSG must fight to keep possession against Liverpool, says Luis Enrique
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Paris St Germain's ability to control possession in their Champions League second-leg tie at Liverpool will be key as they seek to overturn a 1-0 deficit and book a spot in the quarter-finals, manager Luis Enrique said on Monday.
PSG outplayed Liverpool during last week's 1-0 home loss, but goalkeeper Alisson kept the English club in the game with a string of magnificent saves before substitute Harvey Elliott scored in the 87th minute to seal a smash-and-grab win.
"Tuesday's match will be more balanced. I'm optimistic about what my team can do. Of course we'll have to defend together and attack together, have possession as much as possible and then we'll be able to create chances," Luis Enrique told reporters.
"Our objective is clear, it's to try and be better than our opponents. Especially away from home. It's hard to play away from home but you try to control things.
"We know what we do well and what we need to improve. We're aiming to keep hold of the ball, that's our base, and from there we'll see how the game develops."
The Spanish manager is no stranger to defying the odds in the Champions League.
He was the manager of Barcelona when they became the first team in Champions League history to overturn a four-goal deficit by beating PSG in a knockout tie in 2017, with the feat hailed as the greatest-ever comeback in the tournament.
Asked if he could recreate it, he said: "I would have preferred not to have had to come back from four goals down against PSG with Barca.
"But in my career, even when things go wrong, there are still elements that you can manage. I find that interesting and I have the ability to do it."
He also dispelled any notion that PSG would be daunted by the atmosphere at Anfield, adding: "No player in the team will not want to play here. It's a legendary stadium in the history of football in Europe.
"It's a huge motivation for the players and as a team. We want to show that we're capable of playing a good game in Liverpool's stadium."
PSG winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia echoed his manager's sentiments and said the French club needed to be more clinical.
"The most important thing on the pitch is to stay focused on our work and do our best. It doesn't matter if it's Paris or Anfield, we have to do our best," the Georgia international added.
"In the last game we had a lot of chances but we didn't score. This Tuesday, we have to be ready for anything. As soon as we get the chance to score, we have to score."
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