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Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique is looking forward to a reunion with Pep Guardiola in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
The French league leaders sit top of Ligue 1, but are at risk of failing to qualify for the next stage of Europe’s elite competition.
They sit on just seven points, one behind City ahead of their meeting at the Parc des Princes.
And although the stakes are high in the match, Enrique looked more excited than nervous in his pre-match press conference.
He said: “Tomorrow will be a special match. Not just because of its importance for both teams, but also because I’ll be meeting a friend with whom I’ve shared some great moments.
“It’s great to see Pep again. What brings us together is our way of seeing football, of constantly pressing, of holding onto the ball more than our opponents.
“Of course there are nuances, but I think our starting philosophy is similar. I feel very lucky to be his friend and to have been his team-mate. I think he’s brought a new way of playing to England.
Luis Enrique spoke to PSG TV on the eve of the match against City! 🎙️
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) January 21, 2025
“Last season, we had to fight until the last day to get out of our group. I think that over the last two seasons, we’ve come up against some tough opponents in the group stages. But what I see in my team gives me confidence and makes me very optimistic.
“It’s a very important game, and everyone has to be ready, both the coach and the team. I think that both teams will be trying to deploy their best weapons.
“With the new Champions League format, no one could have predicted where Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain would stand. We still don’t know how many points we’ll need to qualify for the next round, but maybe after this round we’ll find out.”
Enrique has bolstered his attacking options ahead of the match with the arrival of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
The ex-Napoli winger joins to provide competition for the likes of Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola in wide areas.
But the PSG boss says the Georgian forward can play across the front line and that will be evident from his very first appearance for the club.
He added: “Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is a player who showed his ability at Napoli and with the Georgia national team. He can play on the flanks, in the centre, up front… He’s a player who adapts to our system. He’s also involved defensively, which fits in with our idea of football.
“We define our game plan with that in mind. We hope that, with the support of our fans, we’ll manage to be better, even though we know it will be difficult. We have all the ingredients for tomorrow’s game to be a great football match. May the best team win, and I hope it’s Paris Saint-Germain.”
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