PSG coach Luis Enrique is very cautious about their upcoming Champions League quarter-final opponent.
After beating Liverpool in a penalty shootout to reach the Champions League quarter-finals, PSG now faces another English club—Aston Villa. Enrique believes the battle against Unai Emery’s side will be very challenging.
In this season’s newly formatted Champions League, PSG won only one of their first five group-stage matches. Their progression to the next stage was in doubt, but after winning the next three games, they secured a spot in the knockout phase.
In the knockout stage, they demolished Brest 10-0 on aggregate to move into the Round of 16. In that round, despite playing well at home against Liverpool, they lost 1-0, but they came back with a 1-0 win at Anfield to force a tiebreaker. They won the tiebreaker 4-1 to reach the quarter-finals.
Under Unai Emery, Aston Villa has undergone a transformation in recent years. In the Round of 16, they defeated Club Brugge 6-1 on aggregate. They will face PSG in the first leg of their semi-final clash on April 9 at PSG’s home ground.
Enrique is well aware of Emery’s knowledge of PSG. From 2016 to 2018, the Spanish coach led PSG and won seven trophies with the club.
Ahead of PSG’s Ligue 1 match against Marseille on Sunday, Enrique spoke at a press conference, saying the clash with Villa will be a tough test for his team.
“I know Aston Villa well. Right now, they are one of the top eight teams in Europe. I’ve known Unai (Emery) for a long time. They will make our job difficult. He’s always well-prepared. He’s a successful manager.”
