PSG boss Luis Enrique urges players not to let levels drop
The Ligue 1 leaders host Reims and then face Nice in the quarter-finals of the Coupe de France
Paris St Germain coach Luis Enrique knows his side cannot allow their standards to drop as they head into the defining part of the season.
After securing their place in the last eight of the Champions League, the Ligue 1 leaders host Reims on Sunday and then face Nice aiming to reach the semi-finals of the Coupe de France.
Enrique insists the players must stay focused on delivering the required performance levels during such a crucial run of fixtures.
“Against Reims, the tension will be high because we played in the Champions League this week” the PSG coach said.
“We need to take this factor into account. We will need to be at our best tomorrow.
“And against Nice, in the Coupe de France afterwards, there will be a lot at stake since we want to win everything.”
Enrique added in a press conference: “We are pleased to have qualified (in Europe), but we are focusing on the present, we need to concentrate on the upcoming match against Reims in the league.
“I remember the first match against them, it was also after a Champions League match. We won in a not-so-easy encounter.
“We will need to be at our best once again and we expect a tough match, also because we used up a lot of energy on Tuesday.”
PSG will again be without centre-back Marquinhos, who has been managing an Achilles problem and was an unused substitute for the Champions League win over Real Sociedad, while Marco Asensio continues his recovery programme on a hamstring strain.
Kylian Mbappe scored twice on Tuesday night, having been taken off at half-time of the previous Ligue 1 game at Monaco.
Enrique feels PSG need to maintain flexibility as they look to sustain challenges on all fronts.
“Players may change on the field, but the intentions remain the same,” he said.
“We also want to be as unpredictable as possible and we are all working together on this approach.”
Reims coach Will Still says his side must not believe their season is over already following a run of just one win in the last six league games.
“We have to remove the idea that we have nothing left to play for,” Still told a press conference.
“We are ninth, a few points behind the teams in front – just because results have been more frustrating lately doesn’t mean we should question everything.
“We are not going to go there and crash, but to play and try to give the best image of Reims.”