Luis Enrique Calls PSG’s 5-4 Champions League Win Over Bayern Munich Best Game of His Coaching Career

Paris Saint-Germain head coach Luis Enrique has described Tuesday’s 5-4 Champions League semi-final first-leg victory over Bayern Munich at the Parc des Princes as the finest match he has experienced in his managerial career — a career that includes leading Barcelona, with Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar in attack, to Champions League glory.

The nine-goal encounter is now the highest-scoring semi-final in Champions League history and is tied for the second-most goals scored in any knockout-stage fixture across Europe’s premier club competition. Speaking after the match, as quoted by ESPN, Enrique was unequivocal in his assessment: “I have never seen a match with this kind of intensity. This is not the time to point out flaws; we just need to congratulate everyone. We deserved to win, we deserved to draw and we deserved to lose today. It was a fantastic match. It has been, without a doubt, the best match I have ever been involved in as a coach.”

PSG appeared to be cruising when they established a commanding 5-2 advantage early in the second half. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembélé each scored twice to help build that lead at the Parc des Princes. However, Bayern Munich refused to capitulate. Defender Dayot Upamecano reduced the deficit with a header from a Joshua Kimmich free kick midway through the second half, before Luis Díaz’s strike left the tie at 5-4, cutting the aggregate gap to a single goal ahead of next Wednesday’s return fixture in Munich.

Enrique acknowledged the physical and emotional toll the contest took, even from the technical area. “I’m so tired, and I didn’t run a single kilometer,” he admitted. “So I don’t know how the players are feeling.” He also indicated that he expects a similarly demanding encounter in the second leg, having already consulted his coaching staff on what it would take to progress. “I just asked my staff, ‘How many goals do you think we will need to win this match?’ They said, ‘Minimum three.’ Bayern Munich in their stadium are even stronger, but we will try and show the same mentality.”

Enrique’s previous coaching roles have included stints with the Spanish national team, in addition to his time at Barcelona. Despite the pedigree of those appointments and the occasions they produced, the Spaniard placed Tuesday’s result above all others in his professional experience.

The semi-final picture will become clearer on Wednesday, when Spanish club Atlético Madrid host Arsenal at the Metropolitano in the other last-four first leg. The 2024-25 Champions League final is scheduled to take place in Budapest, Hungary, on 30 May. Should PSG advance, it would mark a significant milestone for the club, which has never won the European Cup. Bayern Munich, meanwhile, are six-time European champions and will carry the backing of their home crowd into the second leg as they look to overturn the deficit.