Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) manager Luis Enrique has urged his talisman Kylian Mbappe to help out in defense in the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg against Borussia Dortmund. Enrique is confident of his team’s chances of making it into the final but believes it will take a team effort to overturn the first-leg deficit.
PSG Have Their Work Cut Out For Them In Champions League Semi-Final 2nd Leg Against Borussia Dortmund
Ligue 1 champions PSG suffered a 1-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg at Signal Iduna Park last Wednesday (May 1). Niclas Fullkrug scored Dortmund’s only goal against the Parisians in the 36th minute, calmly bringing down a long ball from deep and slotting it beyond Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Mbappe, who has scored the joint-most goals (8) in the UEFA Champions League this season, had a bad day at the office. He had three attempts on the night, two of which were blocked. The only shot that evaded the sea of defenders clattered against the post and came back out.
Luis Enrique Wants Kylian Mbappe To Defend Against Dortmund
Les Parisiens will host Dortmund at the Parc des Princes for the semi-final second leg on Tuesday night (May 7). They need to produce a much better showing in Paris to make it to their second UEFA Champions League final (after 2020), and Enrique has called on Mbappe to be effective on both ends of the pitch.
When asked how he could help Mbappe be more impactful in the second leg, Enrique said at his pre-match press conference (via ESPN):
“As we are a team, we ask the attackers to help make sure few balls reach the defense. We are all a team and everyone plays a part. Even world-class stars have to help defend.”
The Spaniard then let out a confident battle cry, backing PSG to overcome Dortmund and reach the final.
He added:
“That is the only sentence I know in French, ‘on va gagner,’ we are going to win.
“It is a sentence I like, and I always think my team will win, so that is what I say.”
Mbappe has been in sensational form for the Ligue 1 giants this season. Playing 45 matches in all competitions, the 25-year-old has scored 43 times and provided 10 assists.
