MUNICH — Luis Enrique declared his Paris Saint-Germain squad as the top team after they secured a spot in the Champions League final against Arsenal by edging Bayern Munich 6-5 on aggregate in the semifinals.
The match ended in a 1-1 draw at Allianz Arena, with Harry Kane‘s stoppage-time equalizer for Bayern canceling out Ousmane Dembélé‘s early goal, allowing PSG to progress to their second consecutive final after showcasing dominance in Bavaria.
Despite finishing outside the top eight in the league phase and still advancing to the Champions League playoffs, Luis Enrique insisted PSG remains the strongest team in Europe.
He emphasized that his team demonstrated their quality by overcoming Bayern, setting up a final against Arsenal in Budapest, Hungary, on May 30.
“Do I believe we can win the final? Absolutely,” Luis Enrique affirmed to reporters. “Do you remember what I said after the group stage?”
“I mentioned that I don’t see any team that surpasses us. Critics might say PSG isn’t that great, but I stand by my statement.”
“Bayern are on par with us, and Arsenal has been exceptional this season, pursuing the Premier League title.”
“They’ve made it to the final, but I have faith in my team, and that needs to be stressed.”
“Over the last three years, we’ve shown we’re equipped to face any opponent. This is a team that fights and stands firm.”
While PSG has garnered accolades for their attacking prowess, Luis Enrique highlighted that their display in Munich demonstrated their defensive capabilities as well.
“Today, we proved we can defend with a low block when necessary,” the former Barcelona manager noted. “It’s not our preferred style, and we don’t select players for that, but we can do it when required.”
“It was encouraging to see the mentality of our players. Our defensive game improved significantly.”
“We faced too many one-on-one situations last week, but in this match, we won more duels and maintained our performance level.”
“Parisians appreciate beautiful football and a fighting spirit, which is our philosophy.”
PSG is also on the verge of clinching Ligue 1 for the fifth consecutive season and the eighth time in the last nine.