Paris St Germain’s emphatic 4-1 victory over Lille on Saturday served as a significant benchmark ahead of their Champions League round of 16 encounter with Liverpool, according to PSG manager Luis Enrique.
PSG netted four goals during a dominant first half, extending their winning streak to ten matches across all competitions. The French champions remain unbeaten since their defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich in November.
“That was the finest first half of the season,” Enrique remarked to the media.
“Now we must shift our focus to the… two matches against Liverpool; we need to prioritise recovery and maintain our ambition.
“They are currently the most formidable team in Europe, excelling in both their results and style of play. This matchup could easily resemble a Champions League final, so we aim to leverage our strengths.”
Liverpool, sitting atop the Premier League table, excelled during the league stage of the Champions League, whereas PSG finished 15th and secured their spot in the round of 16 by overcoming Brest in the playoffs.
The two sides met in the group stage of the Champions League back in 2018, with each team claiming victory on their home turf.
“We won’t be making significant changes. Today served as a measure, as both Liverpool and Lille present similar challenges. We applied such intense pressure that Lille was forced into playing long balls, unable to build from the back,” Enrique stated.
“It will be a different challenge, undoubtedly more complex, but we’re currently in the best form of the season. We’ll be competing against the finest team in Europe, who performed exceptionally to qualify.
“Yet, we don’t have a defensive mindset; our approach is to attack and strive to turn the game in our favour.”
The first leg of the tie will see PSG welcome Liverpool on Wednesday, with the return match scheduled for March 11 at Anfield.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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