The Fort Worth Press - PSG coach Luis Enrique calls on team to raise their game in Champions League last 16

USD -
AED 3.672503
AFN 63.999659
ALL 82.446914
AMD 367.889616
ANG 1.790403
AOA 917.497004
ARS 1483.7393
AUD 1.444941
AWG 1.8
AZN 1.70203
BAM 1.715719
BBD 2.014659
BDT 123.237259
BGN 1.69088
BHD 0.377133
BIF 2976.647894
BMD 1
BND 1.294833
BOB 6.927015
BRL 5.183803
BSD 1.000237
BTN 94.653762
BWP 13.556631
BYN 2.932324
BYR 19600
BZD 2.011641
CAD 1.420175
CDF 2275.000056
CHF 0.807755
CLF 0.02341
CLP 921.312404
CNY 6.79395
CNH 6.794015
COP 3438.95
CRC 456.074635
CUC 1
CUP 26.5
CVE 96.734291
CZK 21.24675
DJF 177.720003
DKK 6.54136
DOP 59.627253
DZD 133.17727
EGP 49.1335
ERN 15
ETB 160.107467
EUR 0.87516
FJD 2.24225
FKP 0.75464
GBP 0.754025
GEL 2.639985
GGP 0.75464
GHS 11.325109
GIP 0.75464
GMD 73.502887
GNF 8768.31301
GTQ 7.631137
GYD 209.231633
HKD 7.842855
HNL 26.765154
HRK 6.594599
HTG 130.781681
HUF 311.469501
IDR 17925.1
ILS 2.98005
IMP 0.75464
INR 94.53205
IQD 1310.36086
IRR 1376000.000227
ISK 125.84978
JEP 0.75464
JMD 157.597396
JOD 0.708981
JPY 162.587988
KES 129.47945
KGS 87.449815
KHR 4025.844712
KMF 432.000416
KPW 900.00035
KRW 1547.769879
KWD 0.30975
KYD 0.833593
KZT 479.31644
LAK 22434.12886
LBP 89573.772793
LKR 336.095235
LRD 181.582861
LSL 16.36882
LTL 2.95274
LVL 0.60489
LYD 6.42603
MAD 9.401556
MDL 17.67459
MGA 4243.298842
MKD 53.947973
MMK 2099.487458
MNT 3582.059186
MOP 8.08008
MRU 39.968069
MUR 47.189991
MVR 15.459931
MWK 1734.473214
MXN 17.480715
MYR 4.083897
MZN 63.849698
NAD 16.369466
NGN 1380.47968
NIO 36.809762
NOK 9.900185
NPR 151.417455
NZD 1.760705
OMR 0.384501
PAB 1.000268
PEN 3.418588
PGK 4.393387
PHP 61.518502
PKR 278.14144
PLN 3.76195
PYG 6083.016418
QAR 3.656302
RON 4.5852
RSD 102.686992
RUB 78.695525
RWF 1466.200538
SAR 3.758263
SBD 8.065041
SCR 13.559006
SDG 600.552774
SEK 9.69305
SGD 1.293875
SHP 0.746601
SLE 24.796299
SLL 20969.503664
SOS 571.631598
SRD 37.504498
STD 20697.981008
STN 21.492548
SVC 8.752522
SYP 110.532098
SZL 16.366651
THB 33.231498
TJS 9.242505
TMT 3.51
TND 2.964393
TOP 2.40776
TRY 46.648698
TTD 6.789103
TWD 31.807035
TZS 2624.997998
UAH 44.826936
UGX 3666.127143
UYU 40.153526
UZS 12007.438858
VES 622.24352
VND 26315
VUV 119.95305
WST 2.78094
XAF 575.458928
XAG 0.017427
XAU 0.000251
XCD 2.70255
XCG 1.802639
XDR 0.716236
XOF 575.45388
XPF 104.621836
YER 238.601246
ZAR 16.37881
ZMK 9001.203214
ZMW 18.029889
ZWL 321.999592
  • BCC

    -1.6300

    77.63

    -2.1%

  • CMSC

    -0.0528

    21.64

    -0.24%

  • BTI

    -0.9800

    61.76

    -1.59%

  • BP

    -0.4000

    36.95

    -1.08%

  • AZN

    -1.3300

    189.62

    -0.7%

  • RIO

    0.6400

    94.93

    +0.67%

  • NGG

    -0.8900

    82.87

    -1.07%

  • GSK

    -0.3900

    52.42

    -0.74%

  • BCE

    -0.7500

    21.51

    -3.49%

  • RBGPF

    0.6100

    65.61

    +0.93%

  • JRI

    0.1000

    12.96

    +0.77%

  • CMSD

    0.0000

    21.9

    0%

  • RYCEF

    0.7100

    19.1

    +3.72%

  • RELX

    0.3800

    31.67

    +1.2%

  • VOD

    -0.4650

    13.225

    -3.52%

PSG coach Luis Enrique calls on team to raise their game in Champions League last 16
PSG coach Luis Enrique calls on team to raise their game in Champions League last 16 / Photo: © AFP

PSG coach Luis Enrique calls on team to raise their game in Champions League last 16

Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique admitted that his side still had considerable room for improvement after they edged past Monaco in the Champions League on Wednesday to set up a last-16 showdown against Barcelona or Chelsea.

Text size:

"We had the toughest draw in the league phase, and we are used to playing games like these against anyone," the Spaniard said after Wednesday's 2-2 draw in the all-French knockout phase play-off tie that allowed PSG to squeeze through 5-4 on aggregate.

PSG led 3-2 from last week's first leg but Maghnes Akliouche gave Monaco the advantage on the night at the Parc des Princes to level the scores on aggregate.

The sending-off of Monaco's Mamadou Coulibaly early in the second half paved the way for PSG to equalise through Marquinhos and then go 2-1 up in the second leg through Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

But with a man fewer, the principality team still scored again through Jordan Teze and Wout Faes missed a glorious chance to force extra time.

"Of course we can and want to improve, but there is also always an opponent and we knew how difficult it would be," said Luis Enrique.

"The next one will be easier, no? Chelsea or Barca -- not bad. But if any team is ready, it is us."

PSG lead Ligue 1 and remain in the running to retain the Champions League title they won for the first time last season.

They have also won the UEFA Super Cup, the FIFA Intercontinental Cup and the French Champions Trophy in this campaign -- all on penalties.

There is a sense that the Qatar-owned club are a long way short of the form they showed in the second half of last season when they blew away their continental rivals on the way to thrashing Inter Milan 5-0 in the Champions League final in Munich.

"We knew how difficult it would be and we were not surprised by Monaco," Luis Enrique added.

"We showed our resilience and our ability to overcome problems, but this competition is difficult. It is important to improve and that is what we will try to do."

- 'Win every competition' -

He will also hope to get last year's Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele back fully fit -- the 28-year-old scored 35 goals last season but has just 11 this season and has started only 14 games out of 38.

PSG will find out on Friday their path to this season's final in Budapest, beyond the identity of their opponents in next month's last 16.

They beat Barcelona 2-1 away during the league phase in October and have faced the Catalans in five knockout ties since 2013.

Paris also played Chelsea in knockout ties in three straight seasons from 2014 to 2016 and lost to the Blues 3-0 in last year's Club World Cup final.

Asked how his team can get back to the levels of last year, Luis Enrique said: "Just keep doing the same things.

"We are ready to play any opponents in any competition. We have had a lot of injuries, but that is not an excuse.

"There are still more or less three months of the season to go and we have the same mentality. The objective is to win every competition."

Meanwhile, Monaco are left to focus on trying to qualify for Europe again next season after being knocked out in the Champions League play-offs for the second year running.

"We could have done more in this campaign but it has still been satisfying," said Monaco coach Sebastien Pocognoli, whose side are eighth in Ligue 1.

"Let's hope this experience helps us progress more quickly in the future."

F.Garcia--TFWP