After a hard-fought and nervy 2–3 victory in Metz, PSG head coach Luis Enrique admitted he had been under real pressure until the final whistle. Speaking at the post-match press conference, the Spanish coach reflected on the loss of control late in the game, praised several individual performances — notably Quentin Ndjantou, Ibrahim Mbaye, and Désiré Doué — and also looked ahead to the upcoming match against Flamengo.
Here are his full comments, translated and transcribed in full by our team.
Were you afraid at the end of the match? Do you regret the loss of control by your team late in the game?
“When you put four or five attackers on the pitch and you have to make substitutions by obligation…”
“Afraid? Very afraid! Of course. I think Metz played very well, especially in the second half. They were in the game until the last minute. They pressed very well, they played out from the back, and for me they played very well.
I think that when you put four or five attackers all together and you have to make substitutions by obligation, we lacked midfielders on the pitch. It was difficult. We lost our balance and we lost control of the match in the final part of the second half.”
Tonight, Quentin Ndjantou scored his first Ligue 1 goal. He played in midfield and had a good match. What can you tell us about his development and about that first goal, which should give him confidence?
“Of course. He has been the surprise of this season. I think he has the quality to make runs in behind, with or without the ball. He has that ability.
He is a player who comes from the second line. He has the capacity to play as a midfielder, and also as an attacker. He is a player of very good quality. We have high hopes for him.”
Ibrahim Mbaye also had a very good match. Was he boosted by his call-up for the Africa Cup of Nations? How do you explain his performance? He even looked like one of the players of the match.
“Mbaye is more liberated.”
“Normally, to have many opportunities like the ones we gave to Ibé, that’s because we believe a lot in his quality.
And today, he showed a little more than what he usually shows. He is more liberated, more comfortable.
Today, he made very good actions, with the ball and without the ball, which is very important for us.
I am very happy and, before leaving for the AFCON, I think he still has one match left. We are ready to continue giving continuity to the players.”
You brought Désiré Doué on at half-time. He played 45 minutes and scored a goal. What did you think of his performance and how is he feeling physically?
“I am very happy. He scored a goal and we continue the process for players who are returning.
Recovering from an injury is one thing, being at 100% is something very different. And at the moment, that physical condition is not there yet.
But today, he took a small step forward and we are happy.
This is the last league match of this year, of this year 2025, and we are happy with the result.”
Metz are bottom of the table. Were you surprised by their performance against you tonight?
“I think we controlled the match at the beginning. Every time we scored a goal and had the opportunity to manage the game, they scored.
And it became difficult because in the final part of the match, we lost control.
Metz have the ability to play the ball from the back. That is not easy, normally, for teams at the bottom of the table, but they played very well.
And it was complicated for us.”