Luis Enrique, the head coach of Paris Saint-Germain, has said that his team are having trouble with their mental state after losing 3-1 at home to Monaco on Friday night. The result comes just five days before PSG play Chelsea in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie. This is a rematch of last summer’s Club World Cup final, which the Blues won 3-0.
The Parisians looked like a shadow of their former selves against a clinical Monaco team. They made mistakes that weren’t typical of them and didn’t play with enough intensity, which angered the fans at the Parc des Princes. It was a performance that made the footballing world wonder if the defending European champions are ready for the knockout stages.
After the loss, Enrique didn’t do much to hide his worries, telling the press:
“It is the key point of the season. We need to rediscover our confidence. Confidence isn’t something you can buy at Monoprix. You have to build it day by day. We are clearly struggling, but we have to keep hope in order to change that.”
This is the first time the two teams have met in the Champions League since the 2015/2016 season, and Enrique’s admission of weakness should give Liam Rosenior’s team a lot of hope. PSG lost to Monaco, which was their seventh loss in all competitions this season and their first home league loss.
]The French champions also had to fight hard to win 5-4 on aggregate against the same team in the Champions League play-offs just a few weeks before, which shows how inconsistent they have been this season. Chelsea, on the other hand, got ready for their trip to Paris on Wednesday by beating Wrexham in the FA Cup on Saturday, but only after extra time.
Rosenior Backs “World-Class” Joao Pedro to Be Key for Chelsea Against PSG
Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior thinks that Joao Pedro is already playing at a level that makes him one of the best strikers in the world. In just 12 games under Rosenior, the Brazilian forward has scored 10 goals and assisted on five others. Last Wednesday, he scored a stunning hat-trick in the 4-1 win over Aston Villa, bringing his Premier League total to 14 for the season.
After the Villa performance, Rosenior was effusive in his praise:
“He’s a top player. I think he’s growing in confidence. His goal with the left foot is world class. The finish is magnificent.”
When asked if Pedro is on the same level as Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, and Harry Kane, Rosenior was very clear: Pedro is now consistently playing at that level. Chelsea will be counting on their in-form striker to come through on the biggest stage again, given PSG’s low confidence.