Paris Saint-Germain will continue their UEFA Champions League run on Tuesday as they travel to face Stade Brestois in the all-new play-off round of the competition.
An underwhelming campaign in the league phase of the tournament has left Luis Enrique’s side needing to defeat French opposition over the course of two legs to reach the round-of-16, and the Spaniard accepted that “matches against Brest are always difficult.”
“Whether they’re at home or way, they’re a team capable of scoring twice in two minutes. They’re a well-built team,” he told reporters in Monday’s pre-match press conference, adding that “they perform well down the centre as well as with second balls.”
The 54-year-old praised Tuesday’s hosts for their performances last season, which guided them to a third-placed finish in Ligue 1 and UEFA Champions League qualification.
“Without a doubt, Brest were one of the best French teams last season and they’ve been rewarded with this Champions League qualification. Since the start of their European campaign, they’ve had impressive results and I congratulate them, as well as their head coach, for the levels they’re reaching.”
Éric Roy’s side haven’t quite hit the same levels this season and sit six points adrift of the current top three in their domestic league, but Enrique admitted that “we know that Brest can still get a positive result against us.”
“We’re all conscious of the importance of tomorrow’s match. It’s true that we’re the favourites but football doesn’t always reward the team who plays the best. We’re not over-confident, we know that Brest can get a positive result against us.”
“At this stage of the competition, everything is played over a short period of time with just two matches of 90 minutes so our sole objective tomorrow is victory,” he told reporters.