Enrique: either Chelsea or Barca is not gonna be easy; hopefully first at home

In the second leg of the Champions League knockout play-off, Paris drew 2-2 with Monaco at home and successfully advanced with a total score of 5-4. After the game, Paris coach Enrique attended the press conference.

You often talk about the content of the game. Tonight's result is satisfactory because you have advanced to the Champions League Round of 16, but do you agree that this time the team has not met the standard in terms of content? Are you a little disappointed with the performance?

Enrique: "What I want to say is that in the first half, we rarely encounter a team that plays with the same ideas and the same formation as us. Usually our continuity is better and our passing is more accurate. I think the two teams were evenly matched in the first half, but the situation changed in the second half. We had a better start, more accurate and more confident. We deserved this victory, or this qualification. But the game was very difficult, it was a trap game from the beginning, because everyone was saying that we must win. The opening stage was very complicated, and sometimes you lose precision and it is difficult to regain your form. But I think we should be happy with what we did and for getting through that difficult moment in the first half."

Do you think this was a mediocre night, these things always happen, which shows that there are still many things to be greatly improved in terms of team, technology and physical fitness. Will the team's level improve in the next round of 1/8 finals against teams like Chelsea and Barcelona?

"It depends on what you saw in this game and throughout the season. I can say that if there is a team in the Champions League that has drawn the most difficult group and played against the strongest team, it is us. Obviously, if there is a team that is ready to play the next round, it is still us. We are used to playing this kind of game against any team. When we can improve, we certainly want to improve, but we meet opponents, and opponents of extremely high level. They showed their individual and team strength, and we knew there would be these difficulties. Will the next round be easier? It will not be easy against Chelsea or Barcelona, but if there is a team ready, it is us."

How do you explain the fluctuations in the final stage of the game? Everyone thought that Paris had finally controlled the situation in the two rounds, but in the last minute there was a free kick, and the victory or defeat may have been only a few centimeters away.

"In the world of football, you can never predict what will happen next. We had one more player in the last 30 minutes, but they still equalized the score. That was a set piece, and the numerical advantage doesn't matter in this situation, because the goalkeeper can participate, and it doesn't matter whether you have one less player or one more player. These situations are very difficult to defend, and this is also the complexity of events like the Champions League. There is always a team that will be eliminated, and they did what they could. If they had scored at that time, they would have entered extra time, which would have been another situation. But that's football, unpredictable."

The Monaco coach said that the red card was not necessarily reasonable and was a turning point in the game. Do you agree that Paris may not have been able to advance without this red card, and it even helped you at that moment?

"I never comment on referees."

Who do you prefer in the draw: Chelsea, or facing Barcelona again?

"It's very simple, very simple. Chelsea or Barcelona? First of all, I hope it will be first at home and then away, and play at home first. Okay, let's see the results tomorrow. No, it's Friday."

Overall, the two rounds against Monaco were more difficult than expected. What lessons have you learned from this, especially for Paris's next Champions League journey?

"We knew the difficulty a long time ago, and we knew Monaco's level, so there were no surprises. In this knockout round, we had a very difficult start in the first leg. They scored two goals in the first two times they broke through our midfield, and the situation was extremely complicated. But what we have shown this season is resilience and the ability to overcome difficulties. This event is very difficult, and you must be clear that you need to improve, because the level of your opponents in the next stage will be very terrifying. It is important to understand that improvement is very important, and this is what we are pursuing."

You have advanced, which is good. But I can feel that the lack of preparation at the beginning of the season is still affecting you now. You have not reached 100% of your condition, maybe only 70% to 80%. What can you do in the next few weeks to continue to improve your condition?

"Continue to do the same thing. We are ready to play against any team, ready to play in any event. What we want to do is still the same thing. This season is very special, everyone knows, because all teams have a large number of injured players. For us, the injuries are particularly obvious, but this is not an excuse. We have never used it as an excuse, but it is very important to have enough players and a complete lineup. But there are still three months, three and a half months of the schedule, and our mentality remains unchanged: strive to win the two events we are participating in. This is our goal, a goal that is always very difficult."