After defeating Arsenal 0-1 in the Champions League semi-final first leg, Paris Saint-Germain manager, Luis Enrique expressed cautious optimism about their prospects in the upcoming second leg.
On Tuesday, April 29, Luis Enrique led PSG to the Emirates Stadium for the Champions League tie and was able to run away with an unprecedented three points after Ousmane Dembélé’s early goal.
Speaking after the match, Enrique noted, “The atmosphere was electric inside the stadium—truly deafening—but we capitalized on a fantastic start. The early goal gave us a significant boost of confidence.”
Enrique reflected on the outcome, declaring, “It was mission accomplished for today. However, our goal is to secure victory in the second leg at home.”
He also highlighted the need to remain vigilant, stating, “With Arsenal, we cannot afford to let our guard down or become complacent. They possess the capacity to score quickly, which could bring everything back to square one.
“Nothing is guaranteed; we must aim for a win on our home turf, especially since Arsenal will be coming into the next match with nothing to lose.”
On the other hand, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed his disappointment following the defeat.
In his post-match interview with Amazon Prime, Arteta acknowledged the difficulties his team faced in the initial stages of the game.
“I’m disappointed with the result,” he stated. “We invested a tremendous amount of effort into the match, yet we struggled to find our rhythm and assert our dominance during the first 10 to 15 minutes.”
He lamented that the team did not secure at least a draw, emphasizing, “We should have taken something from the game.”
Discussing Dembélé’s decisive goal, Arteta remarked, “That’s always the risk you run against quality opponents—credit to them for finding an escape from a tight situation.
“Despite having seven players behind the ball, they managed to be clinical in their execution. Sometimes you simply have to acknowledge the exceptional talent of the individual.”
