Speaking to the press on Tuesday night, PSG manager Luis Enrique celebrated his team’s 1-0 win over Arsenal in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal—but also warned of a “stressful” return leg in Paris.
With an early goal from Ousmane Dembélé, PSG took a deserved victory over the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium. The Parisians largely dominated the match and could have extended their lead, but lacked precision in the final third.
In his post-match press conference, Luis Enrique expressed his satisfaction and praised his players for their solidity, especially in midfield. However, the Spanish coach cautioned that the return leg will be a completely different challenge.
“The match had several phases. Early on, the atmosphere was electric, deafening even, but we scored quickly (4th minute). With our high pressing and that early goal, we gained confidence. We had more chances in the first half, hit the post. In the second half, there was danger from set-pieces—Arsenal pushed hard. The result is good, but it could’ve been better or worse,” he told reporters.
“This tie is still wide open. We achieved our first objective, but the game could’ve ended in a draw—and that wouldn’t have been a bad result. Or we could’ve won 2-0. The goal now is to win the next game. You can’t play it safe against Arsenal—they can score at any time. Nothing is decided. We’ll have to win at home. The second leg will be exciting for the fans, and stressful for the coaches,” he added.
The second leg will be played next Wednesday at Parc des Princes. A draw would be enough for PSG to advance to the final, while Arsenal must win to go through.