Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique is looking forward to meeting Pep Guardiola in the Champions League on Wednesday evening.
The French league leaders are at the top of the French League, but face the risk of failing to qualify for the next stage of the European elite competition.
The team has only seven points, one point behind City, before their meeting at the Parc des Princes.
Although the stakes were high in the match, Enrique appeared more excited than nervous in his pre-match press conference.
He said: Tomorrow will be a special match. Not only because of its importance to both teams, but also because I will meet a friend with whom I have shared some great moments.
“It's great to see Pep again. What brings us together is our way of seeing football, pressing constantly, and holding on to the ball more than our opponents.
“Of course there are nuances, but I think our initial philosophy is similar. I feel very lucky to have him as a friend and a team-mate. I think he has brought a new way of playing to England.”
Luis Enrique spoke to PSG TV on the eve of the match against City! 🎙️
– Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) January 21, 2025
“Last season, we had to fight until the last day to get out of our group. I think over the past two seasons we have faced some strong opponents in the group stage. But what I see in my team gives me confidence and makes me very optimistic.
“It's a very important match, and everyone has to be ready, both the coach and the team. I think both teams will try to use their best weapons.
“With the new format of the Champions League, no one could have predicted the position of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain. We still do not know how many points we will need to qualify for the next round, but maybe we will find out after this round.
Enrique strengthened his attacking options before the match with the arrival of Hvicha Kvaratskhelia.
The former Napoli winger joins to provide competition to the likes of Desiree Doe and Bradley Barcola in wide areas.
But the Paris Saint-Germain coach says the Georgian striker can play across the forward line and that will be clear from his debut for the club.
He added: “Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is the player who showed his ability in Naples and with the Georgian national team. He can play on the wings, in the middle, in attack… He is a player who adapts to our system. He's also involved in defence, which fits with our idea of football.
“We are defining our game plan with that in mind. We hope that, with the support of our fans, we can do better, even though we know it will be difficult. We have all the ingredients for tomorrow’s match to be a great football match. I hope the team wins.” “The best, I hope, is Paris Saint-Germain.”
