London [UK], February 25: Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique knows his side will have to stay focused when they look to fend off rivals AS Monaco and secure a spot in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Monaco had raced 2-0 up inside the opening 20 minutes of the first leg before Desire Doue came off the bench to inspire PSG's fightback, which sees them take a 3-2 advantage into the return at Parc des Princes on Wednesday night.
Luis Enrique - whose side went top of the Ligue 1 table at the weekend after Monaco's own inspired recovery at Lens - accepts PSG cannot just expect to sit back on their slender lead and ride it out.
"We are confident, but we're also wary. This is a special and difficult match," Luis Enrique told a press conference. "You have to know how to manage the different moments during the match.
"There will be difficult moments - the fans know that and so do we.
We have to know how to manage those moments.
"What we believe is that the best way to play this match is to play as usual - there is nothing to defend, just a match to win."
Monaco have not beaten PSG at the Parc des Princes since March 2016 and have only won one of their last five away games through all competitions.
Luis Enrique continued: "When you are down 2-0 away from home, normally you lose and it ends in disaster. We have shown we have the ability to overcome that.
"For us, it is important to understand how we play and there is still progress to be made.
"But tomorrow, we will approach the match as if it were the first one. We want to win this match and deserve it."
PSG will be without star forward Ousmane Dembele - who is still recovering from a calf problem - and midfielder Fabian Ruiz because of a knee issue.
"We don't want to take any risks," Luis Enrique said.
"They won't be here tomorrow. It is not a big deal, but we have to be patient." Doue maintains PSG are ready to "put in a big performance" to get the job done against Monaco.
"We are very eager to reach the next round, so we are approaching this game in the best way possible," he said.
"We also want to win this competition again, so we are taking this game very seriously.
"Monaco are a very good team with a lot of quality and anything can happen, so we need to be 100 per cent focused and committed from the first minute to the last."
Defender Achraf Hakimi - who scored PSG's second goal in the first leg, just before half-time - is set to face trial for an alleged rape, which dates back to February 2023.
Asked if the Morocco international would remain PSG's vice-captain, Enrique said only: "It's in the hands of the justice system."
PSG striker Desire Doue also addressed the media, and said, "Everyone is doing well in the dressing room. We trained well this morning, and we're ready to put in a big performance tomorrow. I'm determined to help the team to win. We're doing well mentally, and we're ready."
About the game against Monaco, he said, "It'll be a very tight game. Champions League matches are always difficult as they can come down to a single goal, but we know that we'll have the support of our fans. They're always with us, and their support is extremely important to us.
"We took the positives away from that (first leg) match above all else. Coming back from 2-0 down, especially away, is very hard. I think that one of the things that made a difference was our mindset, and that's something that we need to have again."
Source: Qatar Tribune
