After a commanding 3-0 victory against Stuttgart, thanks to a hat-trick from Ousmane Dembélé, Paris Saint-Germain finished the Champions League group stage in 15th place with 13 points. The French club will face either Brest or Monaco in the play-offs, with the advantage of playing the second leg at home.
Luis Enrique: “We achieved our goal”
“Throughout this competition, our team has been very consistent. This is an aspect I want to highlight,” said Luis Enrique in the press conference after the qualification.
“Our goal was to qualify, and we achieved it. We ended up in the worst group out of the 36 participating teams, which was frustrating at first, but we managed to reach our goal with high-level performances,” added the Spanish coach.
According to Luis Enrique, PSG deserved at least five more points in the group standings: “We were competitive in all the matches, we created many chances, but we didn’t always manage to convert them. However, the team showed ambition, personality, and a solid defense.”
Nasser Al-Khelaïfi: “Proud of this PSG and French football”
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi also expressed satisfaction: “I have always had confidence in our coach and our players. What matters most is the content of the game, the character, and the style of play.”
Emphasizing the exceptional moment for French football, he added: “We have four French teams qualified, which is the first time in Champions League history. This is something magnificent for football in France.”
Midfielder Désiré Doué highlighted the team’s progress: “We are becoming more efficient, we are finding automatisms, and we are following the coach’s instructions. It’s working, so we are satisfied.”