On September 5, Beijing time (CEST), in Round 3 of Ligue 1, PSG lost 1-2 to Monaco. After the match, PSG manager Enrique attended a press conference.

You stated in an interview with broadcasters that PSG should have won the match. Does this mean you're not concerned about tonight's loss?

Enrique: "Should PSG have won? Of course! And in my opinion, we absolutely deserved to win, and it should have been a victory by a comfortable margin. That's my opinion. The reason I think this way is because I watched the match, and it's one of those typical matches that happens every season: you clearly play better than your opponent, create many chances, and far outperform them in opportunities, but the opposing goalkeeper becomes the best player in the match.

If you look back over the last three years, it's a bit like our first season against Newcastle (1-1), and I also remember our second season against Atlético Madrid (1-2), where the situation was roughly the same. There was also last season against Sporting CP and two years ago against Liverpool.

It's one of those matches where you've done everything you can, and based on the quality of play and the number of chances created, you deserve to win. But football doesn't count how many chances you create; it only counts how many goals you score.

And in that respect, the most important point, we lost. However, I'm satisfied with my team. This is how we might lose a match when luck doesn't go our way, and we have to accept it. If you want to play for PSG, then you already know that, typically, this is how we might lose a match."

Since the start of this Ligue 1 season, you've conceded 6 goals. If you include the French Super Cup, that's 7, and if you include the UEFA Super Cup, that's 8. Does this defensive issue require attention?

Enrique: "No, there's no need to worry. Seriously, I'm being very honest when I say this. Because right now, this is a special phase where the opponent takes one shot, bang, and the ball goes in.

How many shots did Monaco take today? Do you know? Two. Clearly, just two! How many goals did they score? Two. Well, this situation is not normal. Throughout the season, we'll see that this situation will eventually reach a point of equilibrium. At the end of the season, every team will have points that correspond with their performance.

I also have to speak about Monaco; I like the way they played today. They defended very well, and they're currently in first place after winning all their matches. Congratulations to them and to Filipe, who is a very good manager. But for today's match, I think we clearly deserved to win."

Digne was not included in the squad. Can you explain why? What does he need to do, or how does he need to perform better, to return to the squad?

Enrique: "This will be a common occurrence this season. In every match, there will be three players not in the squad, excluding those already ruled out for the match. We have to get used to some important players not being in the squad.

There's nothing to worry about. I'm very happy with him, and I know him very well. That's all there is to it. This will be like this throughout the season, just rotating different players in each match."

The club has announced an extension of your contract. What would you like to say about that?

Enrique: "Now is not the best time to discuss it. But I can say that this is the first time in my career — and I've already been a manager for many years — that I can coach at the same club for a fourth season.

This reflects the club's trust in me, especially the president and sports director, Luis Campos. And my motivation is even stronger now than in my first year. It's unusual for me, and I hope to stay in Paris for a long time. But to stay in Paris for a long time, you have to deserve that trust. That's what motivates me today, and that's what drives me to keep pushing forward throughout the season when facing all the negative factors that may arise. I'm very happy, and I hope to live up to these expectations."

We spoke earlier about Digne, who wasn't in the squad. Dembélé has returned and was on the bench today. Is this because of physical reasons? Does he still need to prove himself further to become a starter again?

Enrique: "Of course, every player's situation is different. Dembélé made an extraordinary effort to participate in the two Super Cups. After that, he had some rest, and since then, we've been gradually increasing his playing time. I think today he played 20 to 25 minutes and performed very well. We're very happy to see him back, and the upcoming matches will continue this way."

Back to the defense, what area does the team need to improve? Do your players need to be more committed defensively, perhaps more actively involved, to avoid conceding goals like that? In any case, the team has conceded 6 goals in three league matches, which is not the defensive standard you usually see from PSG under your management.

Enrique: "But what I want to tell you is that you can't just look at the result. You have to analyze Monaco's expected goals (xG) in this match. Expected goals are the chances you create and how many goals you should score based on those opportunities. What was Monaco's expected goals? Do you know?"

(Reporter indicates that Monaco's expected goals was 0 in the first half.)

Ah yes, 0... We can't completely shut down an opponent and prevent them from doing anything, but that's not how football works. Maybe in other sports you could do that, but not in football. Our pressure today was very good, much better than in many matches where we didn't concede. But today, we weren't fortunate, or rather, fortune didn't smile on us, which is why you're asking me these questions.

The defensive performance I saw today is a very high standard, especially against a very good team like Monaco. The result doesn't erase all the good things we did. Today, I'm as disappointed as our fans. They supported the team throughout the match, and in my opinion, we clearly deserved to win. But we lost, and we didn't even get a draw. That's hard to believe. But that's football. That's why football is so captivating, and why it's sometimes so unfair. But today, Monaco are happy. Did they deserve to win? Well, yes. They were more efficient than us. But they know that if they played against us ten times in the same way as today, we would win 8 matches, draw 1, and lose today's match. That's the difference."

We talk about the league today, but the Champions League will start soon, and on January 7 you'll play against Galatasaray. In 2002, as a Barcelona player, you eliminated Galatasaray. Now as a manager, this will be the first time you face Galatasaray as head coach. How do you evaluate this team and this match?

Enrique: (Sighs) "Listen, I haven't analyzed Galatasaray yet. We know some of their players, we know their strengths, and we know their new stadium. But that's it. 2002? Was television even in color back then? I'm not sure. But I do remember a very beautiful memory for me: I scored my 100th goal for Barcelona at the Galatasaray stadium. Not bad!"

PSG enters this stage seven points behind the Ligue 1 leader, which is quite unusual. Does this point deficit concern you, or is it actually a motivator?

Enrique: "Honestly, I think this is tremendous motivation for my players, the team, and the entire club. If you want to bet on who will eventually become league champions, we can bet. But I won't say anything more. However, for us, this is motivation. Seven points behind? Well. We will try to overturn this situation as quickly as possible."

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