The Japan Times - Luis Enrique dismisses 'noise' around PSG before Monaco Champions League clash

PSG are struggling to rediscover the brilliant form they showed in the second half of last season, when they played breath-taking football on the way to winning the Champions League for the first time in their history.

The club from the French capital were knocked off the top of the Ligue 1 table at the weekend after a 3-1 defeat away to Rennes allowed Lens to climb above them.

That came after a start to 2026 which had already seen them go out of the French Cup to local rivals Paris FC and finish 11th in the league phase of the Champions League. Theirfailure to win any of their last three European games left them facing this play-off for a place in the last 16.

After the defeat in Rennes, last year's Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele had a go at his colleagues as he suggested too many had stopped playing for the collective.

"We need to play for Paris Saint-Germain if we are going to win matches, because if we all just play for ourselves it won't work and we won't win the trophies we want to win," Dembele said in a post-match TV interview.

"Last season we put the club first before thinking about ourselves, so I think we need to start thinking like that again."

Luis Enrique was asked about those comments after arriving in Monaco on Monday, on the eve of the Champions League play-off first leg against the principality side.

"There is always noise around PSG and we just have to accept it," said the Spaniard, who said the defeat in Rennes was "cruel" on his side.

"It is true that we would have liked to come into this game with a victory but now it is time for the Champions League and we are all motivated."

PSG are strong favourites to beat a Monaco side who sit eighth in Ligue 1, 20 points behind their opponents.

However, Monaco have found some form again recently after a poor run, and they beat PSG 1-0 when the teams last clashed, at the Stade Louis II in late November.

"We need to believe we can get a result, otherwise there is no point playing the game," insisted Monaco coach Sebastien Pocognoli, who has a doubt over the fitness of French international midfielder Maghnes Akliouche.

"If we are not at 100 percent and don't play the perfect game, it will be difficult for us," added Monaco skipper Denis Zakaria.

K.Okada--JT