Luis Enrique Insists Paris Saint-Germain Will Still Compete Despite Early Season Challenges
Luis Enrique defies doubts as PSG faces setbacks, promising a strong comeback in Ligue 1 and Champions League with stars returning.
After a historic season that saw Paris Saint-Germain clinch a French football treble—including Ligue 1, the domestic cup, and the Champions League—this campaign has been far less smooth for the Parisians.
They currently trail by a point in Ligue 1, sitting second behind surprise leaders Lens, and have already exited the cup competition. Speaking ahead of their encounter with fourth-placed Lille, Luis Enrique dismissed any doubts about his squad's quality.
Honestly, if anyone has any doubts about our team... they should drop them.
— Luis Enriqu
The coach addressed the unrealistic expectations placed on the team given last season’s dominance.
What's the problem? People think we're going to win all the trophies and all of our matches? Football doesn't work that way. You have to highlight what we've accomplished. I have no doubts about the type of team we are.
— Luis Enrique
Lens, who mounted an impressive nine-game winning streak, have overtaken PSG despite the defending champions’ previous 19-point margin of victory. Injuries have played a role in PSG's uneven form, affecting their sharpness on the field.
Monday’s match against Paris FC was a clear example: PSG fired off 25 shots, seven on target, yet failed to score. Conversely, Paris FC managed just four attempts with two on goal but capitalized on their chances.
Although Ousmane Dembele—recent Ballon d’Or winner—and Desire Doue have returned from injury, PSG's creativity and intensity haven’t matched last year’s levels.
While the French Cup wasn’t their main concern this year, Luis Enrique expressed hope that the early exit will fuel the squad’s drive in Ligue 1 and the Champions League, their primary goals.
PSG is comfortably positioned to finish in the top eight of their Champions League group and avoid playoffs, but face a challenging trip to Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday.
Lens will be without their leading scorer Odsonne Edouard for Saturday’s home game against Auxerre. The striker, who arrived from Crystal Palace this season and has netted eight goals in 16 appearances, was injured in Sunday’s 3-0 French Cup win over Sochaux.
We think that he could play, maybe for 15 minutes, but we don't want to take the risk.
— Pierre Sage
Young forward Rayan Fofana, who led Lens’ attack before Edouard’s arrival, is expected to step in against Auxerre.
Meanwhile, Marseille currently occupy third place but face a tough fixture against Angers. Any further setbacks like their recent 2-0 home loss to Nantes could extinguish hopes of catching Lens, who sit eight points clear.
An emerging talent to watch is 19-year-old Brazilian Endrick. On his Lyon debut in the French Cup versus Lille, he scored the winning goal, slotting home just before half-time. On loan from Real Madrid, Endrick hopes this stint will boost his chances of rejoining Brazil’s World Cup squad.
