Paris St-Germain supervisor Luis Enrique doesn’t count on his squad to be hindered by an absence of expertise when their Champions League marketing campaign begins on Wednesday (8pm BST) in opposition to a visiting Girona aspect who play “great” soccer.
The reigning French champions have named the second-youngest common beginning aspect in the course of the first 4 matches of the Ligue 1 season.
Their common age of 23.1 is greater than six months youthful than the common of the youngest beginning aspect on the primary evening of this season’s Champions League, which was named by Portuguese membership Sporting.
Prepared for the primary combat? ⚔️
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— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) September 17, 2024
PSG squad age ‘no handicap’
“You possibly can win and never have a lot expertise,” argued Enrique. “How a lot expertise do we want? There isn’t a doubt we’re a younger group however I don’t put limitations on myself, nor my gamers.
“Expertise is necessary, after all, in every thing in life however I see many knowledgeable gamers who make the identical errors and plenty of younger gamers who additionally do this. I don’t really feel it’s a handicap for us to be a younger group.”
Regardless of dropping all-time PSG report scorer Kylian Mbappe on the finish of final season, Paris have gained all 4 of their league matches earlier than they face one of many shock packages of European soccer final season in Champions League debutants Girona.
Girona: Enrique ‘a fan’
The Blanquivermells scored six extra targets than Barcelona in 2023-24, ending 4 factors behind the runners-up in third and qualifying for the Champions League by beating them in Might, helped by three targets in 11 second-half minutes.
“No-one anticipated this – it’s the primary time that Girona are going to play within the Champions League however I’ve to say that final season, in virtually all of their video games, indubitably, they had been top-of-the-line Spanish groups and probably the most enjoyable to observe,” mentioned Enrique.
Matchday eve!
🔜 #PSGGIR I #UCL ✨ pic.twitter.com/FHcs1BKbUn
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) September 17, 2024
“Michel is a superb coach who performed great soccer final season; the truth is, they led the league for a lot of days. They play very properly with the ball, press properly and I think about myself a fan of their coach.
“I congratulate them and hope they don’t play too properly in opposition to us. They’ve the braveness to play on the assault, they’re daring they usually all the time use the ball to create hazard behind their opponents. I like their depth with out the ball.”
Girona outcomes
Girona have taken seven factors from their first 5 league video games in a blended begin to the season, dropping 3-0 at Atletico Madrid and, on Sunday, 4-1 at dwelling to Barca.
“Which Girona are we going to play in opposition to?” requested Enrique. “I don’t know if you wish to assist me and you’ve got details about Michel. I’d like to have it.
“However listening to Michel and his statements about how they’re going to face their first Champions League match, I believe they’re going to do what they’re used to: attacking, being courageous and having fun with enjoying in the way in which they did in opposition to Barcelona, regardless that Barcelona performed very properly.”
