Luis Enrique says possession is PSG’s best defence against Lamine Yamal
Ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League match in Paris, the PSG coach said keeping the ball would limit Barcelona’s winger, while acknowledging how difficult that would be.
Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique said at a Monday, 19 October press conference in Paris that keeping possession would be his side’s best way to limit Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal in their Champions League meeting at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday, 20 October. He acknowledged that holding the ball against Barcelona would be difficult, making the plan a challenge for PSG rather than a guarantee of control.
Why Enrique wants PSG to keep the ball
Asked how PSG would defend against the 19-year-old, Enrique gave a simple answer: “You must have the ball. If we have the ball, Lamine doesn't have the ball!” Get Spanish Football News reported. The remark put possession at the centre of his response to a player expected to be a leading threat for the visitors.
Sports Mole reported a fuller version of Enrique’s answer: “The best way to defend against Lamine Yamal is to have the ball. That's our ideal scenario, but we know it won't be like that because of how difficult it is to play against Barca.” He added that PSG would need to stay focused and alert and overcome the challenge as a team. His comments described an aim for the match, rather than a detailed defensive assignment for any individual player.
The question carries weight for PSG because Nuno Mendes, their left-back, is ruled out through injury, Get Spanish Football News reported. The same report said Yamal was coming off a strong performance against Real Betis over the weekend. Enrique’s answer focused on what PSG could do collectively with the ball as they prepared to face him.
The stakes for PSG and Barcelona
PSG enter the fixture as Champions League holders. Sports Mole reported that both clubs had won their opening two matches in the competition and had six points, with PSG first and Barcelona second in the table. Their meeting in Paris therefore brings together two teams that began the campaign with identical results in Europe.
The fixture also takes Enrique back to a former club. He managed Barcelona from May 2014 to May 2017, winning nine trophies, including the Champions League, according to Sports Mole. Enrique said he had played for and managed Barcelona and remained close to Catalonia, but stressed that he was now PSG’s manager and wanted to win Tuesday’s match.
Enrique called facing Barcelona a major source of motivation because of the club’s importance in his career. He said PSG’s immediate aim was to win this match rather than look ahead to later stages of the competition. For now, his possession comments set out how he wants PSG to approach Yamal when the teams meet at the Parc des Princes.
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Sources and context
- PSG boss Luis Enrique reveals the ‘secret’ to stopping Barcelona star Lamine YamalGet Spanish Football News (republished by Yahoo Sports)
- PSG vs. Barcelona: Les Parisiens boss Luis Enrique confirms plan for defending superstar Lamine Yamal in Champions League blockbuster - Sports MoleSports Mole
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