Paris Saint-Germain head coach Luis Enrique has insisted his team cannot afford to relax despite holding a commanding advantage ahead of their Champions League round of 16 second leg against Chelsea, İdman.Biz reports.
PSG defeated the London club 5:2 in the first leg in Paris, putting the French champions in a strong position to reach the quarter-finals. However, Enrique warned that knockout ties in Europe can quickly change and that his team must remain fully focused.
“A second leg is always different because one of the teams is on the verge of elimination and tries to change that. We are ready and we are used to matches like this. We want to play at the maximum of our abilities,” Enrique said at a press conference.
The Spanish coach noted that several Champions League ties this season have been decided after large first-leg margins, underlining the unpredictable nature of the competition.
“Right now there are a few ties with a three-goal difference in the Champions League. We will see how many of them end with a comeback. Football is unpredictable. In the first match with Chelsea the game stayed balanced for a long time,” he explained.
Enrique also warned that PSG must be prepared for difficult moments during the match.
“In the Champions League it’s impossible to stay relaxed. Chelsea can create chances and we must know how to deal with difficult periods to change the course of the game. Matches like this can never be fully controlled,” he added.
The second leg between Chelsea and PSG will take place in London on March 17, with the winner advancing to the quarter-finals of Europe’s premier club competition.
