Luis Enrique Shares Fond Recollections of PSG's Liverpool Battle

"Back when Liverpool dominated Europe, I recall Arne Slot praising PSG highly, even though few others did," stated Luis Enrique.

"That praise felt uplifting for us, creating a cherished recollection of that memorable matchup."

PSG advanced from the last sixteen encounter a year earlier by triumphing 4-1 in penalties following a 1-0 success at Anfield, which evened the score after Liverpool's identical 1-0 victory in Paris.

Luis Enrique's squad proceeded to claim the Champions League trophy for the first time in the club's legacy.

Liverpool, on the other hand, secured the Premier League crown that season and entered the fixture as the expected victors.

Yet this season, Slot's side lacks that intimidating edge and sits in fifth position in the Premier League standings.

"Do we hold the advantage now? I prefer to assess situations and manage the narratives surrounding the squad," Luis Enrique continued, prior to his team's Ligue 1 journey to Nice on Saturday.

"My players possess sharp minds and realise no clear frontrunner exists, with both teams adept at navigating such contests."

PSG leads Lens by one point atop the French league, holding an extra match after their postponed home fixture against Nantes from the previous weekend.

The postponement aimed to grant the Qatar supported outfit additional recovery between the Champions League last sixteen legs versus Chelsea, which they dominated 8-2 overall.

This prompts speculation on whether PSG could seek another delay for their planned visit to league challengers Lens, scheduled for April 11, sandwiched between the Liverpool legs.

"I prefer to await further updates," Luis Enrique remarked. "All clubs seek optimal setups for competitions, yet we respect the needs of fellow sides."

Chevalier Earns Deserved Selection

In addition, the Spanish coach expressed delight at Lucas Chevalier's inclusion in the recent France lineup, even as the keeper has been displaced at PSG by Matvey Safonov.

"Seeing him selected brings me great joy, as he truly merits it," Luis Enrique commented on the ex Lille shot stopper, who has remained unused from the bench in PSG's past 11 outings since featuring in a victory over Auxerre on January 23.

"I consistently support my squad members, and my view on Lucas Chevalier's capabilities remains unchanged since then," he noted regarding the player who serves as reserve to Mike Maignan for France.

PSG faces absences of Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz and Bradley Barcola owing to assorted injury concerns for the Nice match.