Enrique calls on PSG to raise its game in Champions League knockout round

PARIS — Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique admitted that his side still had considerable room for improvement after it edged past Monaco in the Champions League on Wednesday to set up a last-16 showdown against Barcelona or Chelsea.

"We had the toughest draw in the league phase, and we are used to playing games like these against anyone," the Spaniard said after Wednesday's 2-2 draw in the all-French knockout phase play-off tie that allowed PSG to squeeze through 5-4 on aggregate.

PSG led 3-2 from last week's first leg, but Maghnes Akliouche gave Monaco the advantage on the night at the Parc des Princes to level the scores on aggregate.

The sending-off of Monaco's Mamadou Coulibaly early in the second half paved the way for PSG to equalize through Marquinhos, before going 2-1 up through Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Despite being a man down, the principality team still managed to score again through Jordan Teze. Wout Faes then missed a glorious chance to force extra time.

"Of course we can, and want to, improve, but there is also always an opponent, and we knew how difficult it would be," said Enrique.

"The next one will be easier, no? Chelsea or Barca — not bad. But if any team is ready, it is us."

PSG leads Ligue 1 and remains in the running to retain the Champions League title it won for the first time last season.

It has also won the UEFA Super Cup, the FIFA Intercontinental Cup and the French Champions Trophy in this campaign — all on penalties.

There is a sense that the Qatarowned club is a long way short of the form it showed in the second half of last season, when it blew away their continental rivals on the way to thrashing Inter Milan 5-0 in the Champions League final in Munich.

"We knew how difficult it would be, and we were not surprised by Monaco," Enrique added.

"We showed our resilience and our ability to overcome problems, but this competition is difficult.

"It is important to improve and that is what we will try to do."

'Win every competition'

He will also hope to get last year's Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele back to full fitness — the 28-year-old scored 35 goals last season, but has just 11 this season and has started only 14 games out of 38.

PSG will find out on Friday its path to this season's final in Budapest, beyond the identity of its opponents in next month's last 16.

It beat Barcelona 2-1 away during the league phase in October and has faced the Catalan Giant in five knockout ties since 2013.

PSG also played knockout games against Chelsea in three straight seasons from 2014 to 2016 and lost to the west London outfit 3-0 in last year's Club World Cup final.

Asked how his team can get back to the levels of last year, Enrique said: "Just keep doing the same things.

"We are ready to play any opponents in any competition. We have had a lot of injuries, but that is not an excuse.

"There are still more or less three months of the season to go, and we have the same mentality. The objective is to win every competition."

Meanwhile, Monaco is left to focus on trying to qualify for Europe again next season after being knocked out in the Champions League play-offs for the second year running.

"We could have done more in this campaign, but it has still been satisfying," said Monaco coach Sebastien Pocognoli, whose side is eighth in Ligue 1.

"Let's hope this experience helps us progress more quickly in the future."

AFP