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DORTMUND, Germany : Paris St Germain and Borussia Dortmund served up plenty of entertainment in the Champions League quarter-finals, and their meeting in the semis promises more of the same, PSG manager Luis Enrique said on Tuesday.
Both sides came back from first-leg defeats to reach the semi-finals, PSG winning 4-1 in Barcelona after a 3-2 loss in Paris and Dortmund beat Atletico Madrid 4-2 to recover from their defeat in Spain.
“I think that is the way it went in the quarter-finals based on the playing style of Dortmund and the way that we play,” Luis Enrique told a press conference.
“I think it could be a wonderful spectacle, not just for the two fan bases, but for everybody who loves football. I think there will be goals, given the quality and the ability to reach the opposition goal on both teams.”
PSG had never before overturned a first-leg defeat at home in the Champions League, and while the coach believes it can help his players, he also knows that history counts for little at this stage.
“I do hope it liberates us because this is something that we haven’t done before after losing the first leg. I also have experience that shows how important it is to be competitive tomorrow,” Luis Enrique said.
“What we achieved previously doesn’t matter. History is great, but our goal is to win tomorrow. We don’t want to leave it to chance and think about the second leg at the Parc des Princes.”
Dortmund and PSG have already met in this season’s competition, with the German side topping their group, but PSG beat them in Paris and drew the away tie.
Luis Enrique thinks his team, which secured the Ligue 1 title on Sunday, have improved since then, and there is even more to come.
“We have improved in all areas. We are better defensively, better going forward,” the manager said.
“We can keep improving for sure. And that is one of the characteristics of our way of managing the club and the team, by trying to be demanding, not thinking that everything is done.”
The media have made PSG favourites to go through, based on the previous results between the sides, and their current form, but Luis Enrique dismissed such talk before their first-leg game in Dortmund on Wednesday.
“That shows that the press doesn’t know much about football,” the PSG boss laughed.
“I have said that for a long time. What is great about being here is enjoying a really special game at a unique stadium in Europe and having the chance to make our fans really happy by reaching the final.”
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