Paris Saint-Germain head into Wednesday's Champions League semi-final second leg against Bayern Munich with a slender one-goal advantage—but coach Luis Enrique insists that lead means "nothing."
The defending champions produced a breathtaking 5-4 victory in the first leg, a match that already stands as the highest-scoring semi-final in Champions League history. PSG trailed early, surged to a 5-2 lead, and then held on as Bayern mounted a late fightback. It was the kind of game that leaves fans breathless and coaches gray-haired.
"It's nothing," Luis Enrique said flatly of the narrow lead. "Just one goal. We know Bayern Munich can get back into the match, and we can also score goals. We are certainly not here to defend—we're trying to win the game."
The Spaniard's aggressive mindset is no surprise. PSG are competing in their fifth semi-final in seven seasons, and their third straight under Luis Enrique's leadership. The coach described Bayern as "the strongest team we have faced" this season but promised his side would remain "loyal to who we are."
"I can't say Wednesday will be different based on what we saw in the first leg," he added. "I don't think either team will just accept that the other is better. Our mentality is to win every game. We don't need to play for a particular result because we have to win."
Luis Enrique called the opening leg the best match he had been involved in as a coach—but admitted he didn't enjoy a single moment of it from the sidelines. "As a top-level coach, it was very difficult to enjoy," he said.
Midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery had a different perspective. The young Frenchman said the players had just as much fun as the supporters in Paris and expects more of the same at the Allianz Arena. "It was a crazy game for us. We play football to be involved in these sorts of games. It was one of the best matches the Champions League has seen. The intensity, the commitment, the goals—it was simply exceptional. And we're expecting the same thing on Wednesday."
PSG return to Munich's Allianz Arena for the first time since winning last year's final there, a venue that holds fond memories for Luis Enrique. But sentiment won't matter when the whistle blows. With both teams committed to attack, football fans around the world are bracing for another unforgettable night of Champions League drama.
