Atletico Madrid excercised the definition of a smash and grab win over Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night, scoring in the final minute at the Parc des Princes to take a 2-1 win home to Madrid. Los Colchoneros scored from two of their three shots on target, and PSG coach Luis Enrique was not in a good mood afterwards.
‘Lucho’ normally operates with an air of sarcasm and derision through his press conferences, and rarely looks phased. After defeat to Atletico though, he was unusually riled.
“I have no words. I think that in the three games we have played in our stadium (Girona, PSV Eindhoven and Atletico Madrid) we have been infinitely superior to our opponents and we have not been lucky.”
“I’ve been in football for 30 years and I can’t explain this. It’s bad luck. We have been infinitely superior to our opponents. As long as we have games ahead of us we are going to fight.”
PSG have taken just four points from their opening four games, and face Manchester City and Bayern Munich in the second half of the league phase. They remain just a point outside the play-off positions though.
“No doubt,” Luis Enrique responded to Diario AS, when asked whether their qualification for the knockout rounds was in danger. “The day I fail in football, it will not be with the ideas of a journalist or a manager. It will be with my ideas, they are the ones that have brought me here and they are the ones that I will continue to carry out.”
“I don’t think anyone who has seen this match can say that the result is fair. But it’s like life, football is unfair. Today is a shitty day, starting tomorrow, we will start thinking about what things we can improve, if we can improve, because we sure can. There are four finals, without a doubt.”
The Asturian watched on in disbelief after Angel Correa’s late goal scurried under goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
“The goal is a bad joke. The opponent has not reached the edge of the area and scores a goal. I can only speak highly of my players. The goal hurt us, as it does to all teams. And especially if they are goals in which the rival has done nothing. Football is like that and we accept it. The faith of my players is unbreakable. One point less than we thought we were going to get.”
🇸🇮🟡 Jan Oblak’s top three games in the Champions League in terms of saves have all come while wearing the yellow goalkeeper kit:
Against Bayern in 2015/16 – 9 saves
Against Liverpool in 2019/20 – 9 saves
Against PSG in 2024/25 – 8 saves@atletico_stats_ pic.twitter.com/mChioOKy3N— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) November 7, 2024
“We will try until the end. And if we do not qualify, the measures that have to be taken will be taken, there is no doubt about that. I am not in the world of football because of fear. Onwards.”
Certainly PSG are in pole position to become the first major casualty of the new Champions League format, although they are still favourites to qualify over some of their opponents. Prior to the league phase commencing, statistical models predicted that between 8 and 9 points would be enough to qualify for the play-offs, meaning they stand a good chance with wins against RB Salzburg and Stuttgart.
