Champions League, round of 16 first leg – PSG – Real Sociedad (2-0): Luis Enrique liked Real, his Paris criticized

After the meeting, Marca sent a big dig at the former FC Barcelona coach. “Luis Enrique, this is better not to talk about”, dared the Madrid daily on its website, a way of saying that Paris was not that great a team. The Parisian performance did not in fact impress on the other side of the Pyrenees where the finger was especially pointed at the inevitable Kylian Mbappé as the detonator of this two-faced duel.

Always as decisive, the Parisian striker put his team into orbit on the hour mark and caused the fall of the Basque club, competitive but limited by an unproductive offensive sector. The Spanish daily added to the note that Real Sociedad lost to a team “without identity“and who had not”progressed” despite the arrival at the helm of the former Spain coach.

Luis Enrique probably won’t read what has been said about him and his collective in Spain. Because he doesn’t like the press, nor his pens. Elusive until the end, the Asturian coach, a good fan of the game and tactics, admitted to having really enjoyed seeing Real Sociedad deploy their game of annihilation. In his eyes, the Txuri Urdin club deconstructed its PSG during an hour of play and mainly during the first act.

“We must congratulate Real and Imanol (Alguacil), what a great way to do on a pitch. They were at the level”, the Parisian technician underlined to Movistar, enthusiastic about the rival. The Basque club’s ability to bring out the balls, to add intensity to the pressing and to be surprising in its decisions, was to the taste of Lucho, forced to ask double the intensity from his troops at the break. The Parisians recognized it: they were surprised by the energy displayed opposite. “It was superb to see. It will be very difficult in the return match. This victory assures us nothing. We will have to do better, because not only can we lose, but above all we can be eliminated.”

And what do the players think of this Real Sociedad? Well oiled for an hour, if not dangerous in the absence of its captain and top scorer Mikel Oyarzabal, it got stuck on a simple set piece sequence. Reduced to ten in spite of itself at the moment, after the temporary exit of Hamari Traoré on injury protocol, the Basque club paid dearly for its only big defensive wandering of the evening.

“I leave quite angry because we offer them both goals“, underlined the coach, Imanol Alguacil, at a press conference. “The feelings are mixed. The first half was very good, even the start of the second half. It was quite balanced until Mbappé’s goal. We had chances. But we gave them the 1-0 goal. To succeed in qualifying for the quarter-finals, you must not fall behind. To concede this first goal is infuriating.“

The Real technician also scolded his men, who disappeared from the debates mentally after Mbappé’s goal, which cost a second goal which makes the task more difficult when they return next Tuesday March 5. According to him, such an absence is not permitted when playing a qualification in the quarter-finals of the biggest European competition. He especially pointed the finger at poor Hamari Traoré, whose absence was costly on the corner of Mbappé’s goal, because the “Kyks” scored from his area. “If a player leaves us inferior, it’s because he has to go to the hospital…” Atmosphere.

Alguacil continues. “From the second goal, it was even more difficult. The score of 2-0 seems a bit harsh to me. But in the return match, with our supporters, if we can play like we played in the first half, we can change the course of things”. Martin Zubimendi also agrees with his coach. Passed in front of the microphones of the Spanish press in the corridors of the Park, the midfielder made a call to believe it, a call to “remontada”. “The team gave everything. We can believe it, especially after what we did in the group stage and in the first half“.

Let’s come back to the Luis Enrique file. The Parisian coach said two words to his counterpart at the final whistle: “You made things very difficult for us“, launched the Asturian, very happy to face a LaLiga club. Alguacil appreciated the compliment, obviously, but it will not change the result. Regardless, the stage is set. See you in three weeks.