Luis Enrique denies going easy on Real Madrid after subbing several key players in a 4-0 win against them in the semis.
Luis Enrique denies PSG spared Real Madrid.
Luis Enrique highlighted Paris Saint-Germain’s progress on the afternoon when they advanced to the Club World Cup final, 90 minutes away from taking home every title this season, by recollecting: “In January, people said we didn’t have leaders and didn’t score goals.” Since then, they have scored over 100 goals and defeated Inter 5-0 in the final to win their first-ever Champions League. In this instance, they outscored Real Madrid with a performance so strong that he had to refute the idea that they had slowed down.
The PSG head coach did, however, disclose that he has made adjustments with Sunday’s final matchup against Chelsea in mind. Before half an hour had passed, PSG had already taken a two-goal lead and made it 3-0. With a final goal from Gonçalo Ramos, the game was all but finished.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Fabián Ruiz, Nuno Mendes, Ousmane Dembélé, and Désiré Doué were among the key players that PSG substituted after the second half was played at a slower pace. There were moments when it seemed like the only thing keeping them from scoring more was that they didn’t have to and weren’t motivated to keep attacking their rivals.
“My phone is full of messages from Barcelona fans, which tells you about how big this game was,” Luis Enrique said. “You go at 100% for everything this shirt represents and we know what Real Madrid are, what they were and what they will always be, how great they are. We didn’t put the brakes on but of course with the heat, with the final in three days’ time, with cramp and the risk of tiredness, you act. The first thing is the objective, which is to reach the final and compete. But at no point do you put the brakes on.”