FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Champions League - Paris St Germain Press Conference - Paris-Saint-Germain Training Centre, Poissy, France - April 9, 2024 Paris St Germain coach Luis Enrique during the press conference REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq
(Reuters) - Paris St Germain will qualify for the Champions League last four by recovering from last week's 3-2 home defeat by Barcelona in their quarter-final first leg, boss Luis Enrique said on Monday.
The Spaniard, who led Barca to the treble in 2015, was confident PSG could overcome what he thought was an unfair loss and continue their quest for a first Champions League crown.
"We are firmly convinced that we will turn the score around," Luis Enrique told a press conference on Monday.
"The first match was hard fought by both teams but the result did not reflect what we deserved. The 3-2 scoreline means we have to go for the game."
PSG started the first leg unbeaten in their previous 27 games in all competitions but were undone by a Barcelona side looking to return the club to the summit of European football after crashing out in the group stage two years in a row.
PSG were given the weekend off from League 1 action to rest for the second leg, which is an advantage Luis Enrique thinks will help with applying an aggressive game plan.
"We will press from minute one and they will play their game. When we have the ball we will try to create as many chances as possible," he said.
"The days after the game were difficult for us, but the good thing about football is that there is another game against the same opponent and now we have the idea of what we have to do. We are in a very good moment and we are ready."
Barcelona welcome the return of Morocco full back Achraf Hakimi, who missed the first leg due to suspension.
He said PSG were fired up to beat Barca and establish a winning culture and shared his manager's confidence they could fight back against the five-times Champions League winners.
"We're coming here to bring victory back to Paris," Hakimi told a press conference on Monday.
"We're coming with a lot of desire, the desire to change what happened in the first leg. We're coming to win.
"We've been talking to each other, we've been motivating each other. We want to stick together and win."
(Reporting by Fernando Kallas; Editing by Ken Ferris)
