Paris Saint-Germain manager, Luis Enrique, has admitted that his side were fortunate to defeat Manchester City 4-2 in a thrilling UEFA Champions League encounter, despite delivering an impressive attacking performance.
The European champions maintained their perfect start to their title defence with a memorable victory at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, overcoming a spirited City comeback to claim all three points.
PSG dominated the first half, racing into a three-goal lead through Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele and Vitinha in a commanding display that left the hosts struggling to cope with their attacking intensity.
However, Manchester City responded strongly after the interval, with Erling Haaland scoring twice as the Premier League side threatened to overturn the deficit.
City also struck the woodwork twice and were denied another opportunity by a crucial goal-line clearance from Nuno Mendes, as PSG came under sustained pressure.
Reflecting on the encounter, Luis Enrique acknowledged that the outcome could have been different had City taken their chances.
“We could have lost this match if they scored the chances that they created,” he said.
The Spanish coach praised the quality of the contest but recognised the difficulties posed by City’s attacking approach.
“I think it was a very nice match, but the way they play, it’s amazing. We like to play these kind of matches.”
Maghnes Akliouche briefly restored PSG’s three-goal advantage in the second half, but City continued to push forward in search of a comeback.
Ferran Torres also missed a late penalty for PSG, adding another dramatic moment to an encounter filled with attacking opportunities at both ends.
Despite the pressure, Luis Enrique insisted that his team would continue to pursue goals regardless of how many they had already scored.
“We try to win every single match. We try to score. We don’t stop if we score one or two goals,” he added.
However, he reiterated that his side had benefited from some good fortune, particularly during City’s second-half resurgence.
“It’s very nice to feel that but I have to repeat, today we were lucky because in the second half we could have conceded more goals.”
The defeat ended Enzo Maresca’s impressive start as Manchester City manager.
The Italian had won his first eight matches across all competitions since taking over from Pep Guardiola.
Guardiola, who collected 20 trophies during his 10-year spell in charge of City, returned to the Etihad Stadium to show his support for his former club following the recent financial rules verdict involving the Premier League side.
However, he witnessed City’s first defeat of the season after his former players struggled in the opening half before mounting a determined fightback.
Maresca admitted that the match provided valuable lessons for his team, particularly in their response to conceding goals in quick succession.
“From tonight we can learn many things,” he said.
“Even if we concede two goals (in two minutes) against the best team in Europe, we need to continue.
“I try to continue to learn from the players because I just arrived three months ago, but the feeling at the moment is very good.”
The victory lifted PSG to the top of the Champions League standings after two matches, while Manchester City dropped to 17th place in the league-phase table.
