Paris Saint-Germain head coach Luis Enrique praised his team’s historic 5-4 victory over Bayern Munich, calling it the best match he has ever coached.
With nine goals scored during the first leg in Paris, the match set a record as the highest-scoring semifinal in Champions League history and is tied for the second-most goals recorded in any knockout stage match of Europe’s premier competition.
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Enrique’s coaching journey includes tenures with Spain and Barcelona, where he guided an attacking team led by Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, and Neymar to Champions League success. However, he stated that nothing compares to what unfolded at Parc des Princes on Tuesday.
“I have never experienced a match with such intensity,” Enrique remarked. “Now is not the moment to identify faults; we must celebrate everyone’s efforts.”
“We deserved to win, draw, and lose at different moments of this match. It was genuinely fantastic. This has undoubtedly been the best match of my coaching career.”
PSG surged to a 5-2 advantage early in the second half, with two goals each from standout winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembélé at Parc des Princes.
Facing a three-goal deficit, Bayern mounted a valiant comeback.
Defender Dayot Upamecano narrowed the gap with a header from a Joshua Kimmich free kick, and Luis Díaz added another with a fierce strike, bringing the score to a one-goal margin heading into the second leg in Munich next Wednesday.
Enrique admitted he felt drained just from watching the match.
“I’m so exhausted, and I didn’t even run a single kilometer,” he said. “I have no idea how the players must be feeling.”
He anticipates another tough challenge next week.
“I just asked my staff, ‘How many goals do you think we need to score to win?’ They replied, ‘At least three.’ Bayern Munich is even more formidable at home, but we will aim to maintain the same mindset.”
In the other semifinal first leg, Spanish club Atlético Madrid will take on London’s Arsenal on Wednesday. The final is scheduled to take place in Budapest, Hungary, on May 30.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.