Enrique: I'm a FCB fan, but more importantly a professional coach, and I thoroughly enjoy winning

After leading Paris Saint-Germain to a 4-2 home victory over Barcelona in the third round of the Champions League group stage, head coach Luis Enrique was interviewed by Movistar+.

What conclusions did this match leave you with? This was your third consecutive win in the Champions League against a tough opponent, in a highly demanding and extremely difficult game...

I saw exactly the kind of game I expected—very difficult and very complex. Unless you play against them yourself, you really can't truly appreciate the real level of a team like Barcelona. It was a closely balanced game, and I think we performed exceptionally well in the first half, winning back a lot of possession in their half and controlling Barcelona very well despite their high level of play.

In the second half, we went through a tough 10 to 15 minutes where Barcelona controlled the game better and forced us to defend more. But then we regained our rhythm, took the lead, and that settled us down.

I was just about to ask about the second half. Regarding the first half, it largely met our expectations: aggressive high pressing to win back possession and perfectly exploiting Barcelona's mistakes and turnovers. But in the second half, when you no longer had that absolute control, the team seemed very comfortable in transitions. I'm not sure if this is a unique strength or characteristic of Paris Saint-Germain?

To win important games and titles, especially against opponents at your level or higher, you must learn to adapt to different situations within a match. We had a period of 10 to 15 minutes where we had to drop deep and defend, but we still maintained a significant threat because we have very strong transition and quick counter-attacking capabilities. That is the key to knowing how to adapt during a game.

If you recall, last season there were also games like the one against Bayern Munich, where you absolutely had to defend resolutely and defend well, because if you don't, these top-level opponents will win.

One last question: regarding Barcelona's perspective, people have been discussing their competitiveness in European competitions this season—though there's still a long way to go. From Paris Saint-Germain's perspective, do you feel that you are still a step above most teams? I'm not just talking about Barcelona, but most teams in general?

That would be falling into a trap, if we ever think we are the best or unique, right? Today we did an excellent job defensively, especially our forwards. The amazing thing is that we might habitually think forwards are the ones who win games because they score goals, right?

But today we were absolutely dominant at many moments, especially in winning back possession in their half, particularly in the first half. All of this is thanks to the pressing defense of our forwards, who dropped back to support the midfield. Because to win the ball from Lamine Yamal, Fermín López, or Olmo, you either rely on coordinated cover defense, or it's simply impossible to stop them. Today we managed to keep them to just two goals—think about what that means—and at the same time, we maintained our expected output in attack.

Does beating Barcelona still feel special to you? Or has that feeling faded as you've now achieved three consecutive wins against them?

Sorry for making you laugh (chuckles)... You all know I'm a Barcelona fan, but obviously, I'm more of a professional coach, and I thoroughly enjoy winning with the team I manage.

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