Luis Enrique praises PSG’s improved Champions League performances after “tortuous” league stage | OneFootball

In the wake of Paris Saint-Germain’s demolition of Brest on their way to reaching the Champions League last 16, Luis Enrique notably highlighted his team’s improvement from this autumn’s “tortuous” league stage campaign — having been on the verge of elimination before a revival in January.

“It would be better to ask the managers that we’ll be facing, who will have analysed us, what they think of PSG. The qualifying campaign was unfair to us, we should have had five extra points and finished among the top 8. We’ve had to go the long way round, take the tortuous path. It’s made us better, and prepared us for the upcoming knockout matches. I don’t think you can get much harder in this competition than facing Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Atlético Madrid, PSV and Arsenal [in the league stage].”

The Asturian also praised his team’s selfless approach, with seven different goalscorers on the team sheet:

“It’s something we spoke about at the end of the match. I doubt it’s ever happened in the history of the Champions League. It sums up what the team is about, and shows the mentality of the players. Nearly everyone scored, because whenever someone was in the final third, they’d pass to a teammate that was in a bette position. If they had been selfish, we would have scored fewer goals. I love it, it’s a great way to go through to the next round, and I’d like to congratulate all of the players.”

With a goal and an assist on his first start for the Parisians in the Champions League, winter signing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was one of the standout performers of the evening:

“He’s a top player, there’s no doubt about it. We’ve always said that it’s hard to find players who can clearly improve the team during the January transfer window. He still needs some more time to adapt to his teammates and what we do, but it’s clear that he wants to show his quality and help the team out. When you see a player track back for an 80-metre defensive effort in the 89th minute, when you’re 7-0 up — that’s the kind of mentality we want from forwards at Paris Saint-Germain.”

GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin – reporting from the Parc des Princes, Paris