Luis Enrique has admitted that he has some things to fix ahead of a potential high-stakes trip to Chelsea as PSG prepares to discover their Champions League Round of 16 fate.
Chelsea are set to find out their Champions League Round of 16 opponents on Friday, and it will be one of either Paris Saint-Germain or Newcastle United.
Luis Enrique has already spoken about wanting Chelsea over Barcelona if he had to choose in the Champions League draw.
“I’ve been asked whether I’d rather face FC Barcelona or Chelsea F.C.… and honestly, I think Chelsea would be the better option for us right now.
“Barcelona are playing with a lot of confidence, a lot of rhythm. In the Champions League, you have to be smart. If I can choose, I’d choose Chelsea.”
And now Enrique has slightly retracted his statement after PSG’s qualification.
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Luis Enrique says PSG need to fix up if they draw Chelsea
Paris Saint-Germain scraped through against Monaco, winning 5-4 on aggregate.
After the game in his press conference, Luis Enrique looked forward to the draw and spoke about both Barcelona and Chelsea.
“Emotionally, Barca is a very special team for me.
“Whether it’s Camp Nou or Chelsea, none is easy. I will adapt to whatever comes. Both Barcelona and Chelsea are incredible teams.
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“We’ve played against a team with individual and collective quality; we didn’t expect less from them. We were imprecise in the first half, and we’ve been less than them in that time.
“It’s always nice to go back home; Barcelona is very nice, and Barca is a very special club.
“If we have to go to London to play against Chelsea, we know we have to fix a couple of things.”
Who would Chelsea rather face?
While the prospect of facing Luis Enrique’s PSG is daunting, the Blues might actually prefer the French champions over Newcastle United.
Chelsea’s recent history against PSG is golden; they dismantled them 3-0 in the FIFA Club World Cup final in the summer. That victory proved that Chelsea have what it takes to get the better of them, despite being under new leadership with Liam Rosenior.
Conversely, Newcastle represents a much more volatile threat. Under Eddie Howe, the Magpies have become a bogie team for the Blues, notably securing a 2-0 win in May last year and a 2-2 draw in December. The high-intensity press at St James’ Park has repeatedly exposed Chelsea’s defensive errors.
And drawing Newcastle would see Chelsea play them three times in a row.
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