No rush to win league title for quadruple-chasing PSG, says Luis Enrique
Paris St Germain are in no rush wrap up the Ligue 1 title as they also have a Champions League semi-final to plan for as well as the Coupe de France final, manager Luis Enrique said on Saturday.
PSG won the Trophee des Champions in January, and following their 4-1 win over Barcelona on Tuesday they will meet Borussia Dortmund in the semis. With a 10-point lead in Ligue 1, they are very close to securing their record-extending 12th league title.
“There is no urgency of any sort,” Luis Enrique told a press conference. “The aim is the same as always, which is to win the league sooner or later, but what matters is being competitive in every match.
“We want to be competitive whether we win it sooner or later, because with the competitions that we are in, the Coupe de France, Champions League, we need to be competitive in every game, whether we win Ligue 1 in two or three weeks.”
PSG host Lyon on Sunday, the side they will also meet in the Coupe de France final at the end of May, but Enrique sees little connection between the two games.
Lyon’s recent form has taken them from relegation strugglers to seventh in the standings, with just one defeat in their last 10 league matches.
“Tomorrow’s game will be completely different to the final in the Coupe de France based on the importance,” the PSG manager said.
“It is a really good test for us to see how we are doing against a top team like Lyon. They have put in the best results and they have got to the final, that shows they are working very hard and it will be a real test for us.”
PSG’s season means they are still on track for a historic quadruple, but Luis Enrique has often come in for criticism over tactics and team selection, something he has learned to ignore.
“It’s not that I read little, but that I read nothing at all,” he said. “I have been doing this job as a coach for more than 10 years. I have been attacked and I just keep going.”
PSG have 63 points, with a game in hand on Brest who are second. Brest host third-placed AS Monaco on Sunday, one point behind them in the table.
Lyon are on 41 points, two behind Lens, and are still in contention to qualify for Europe.