Luis Enrique urges PSG to focus on Ligue 1 title tilt and not Barcelona clash
The Parisians are 12 points clear at the top of the Ligue 1 table and face the Spanish outfit in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Paris St Germain boss Luis Enrique has told his players to forget about their Champions League showdown with Barcelona and concentrate on the task of edging closer to another Ligue 1 title.
The Parisians go into Saturday’s home clash with bottom-of-the-table Clermont 12 points clear of second-placed Brest and right on track to claim the domestic crown for the sixth time in seven seasons.
They will turn their attention to Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final first-leg clash with Barca at the Parc des Princes immediately afterwards, but Enrique insists not before.
He told a press conference: “We’ve got some important matches ahead of us and we’re not champions yet, so we have to play to win.
“There’s this desire to win everything, and I want players who think about the match against Clermont and not the rest.
“It’s going to be a very tough game, without doubt one of the toughest of the season. We’re in first place, they’re 18th and they’re going to give it everything they’ve got.
“We have to see it as a challenge in front of our supporters because we’re getting ready to suffer. But we’ll have the support of our fans, who will be right behind us.”
PSG, who made it through to the Coupe de France final with victory over Rennes on Wednesday evening, are unbeaten in 26 games in all competitions ahead of the weekend fixture, in which influential skipper Marquinhos returned from injury.
Enrique said: “As well as being the captain, the role model on and off the pitch, he is very involved as if he were a young player.
“He has a vocation to improve, he always wants to progress. When you see that kind of mentality in more experienced players, it’s a powerful thing.
“He’s a great footballer, but off the pitch he’s someone who always listens and wants to help the team improve.”
Despite Clermont’s difficulties this season, they will take heart from September’s 0-0 in the reverse fixture, and also last season’s final-day 3-2 victory in the capital in which they trailed 2-0 before launching a remarkable fightback.
However this time around, manager Pascal Gastien with be without the suspended Elbasan Rashani and the injured Maxime Gonalons, Cheick Oumar Konate, Adam Mabrouk and Stan Berkani, although Johan Gastien and Neto Borges are available once again.