Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has identified possession as the key to limiting Lamine Yamal’s threat when his side hosts Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, October 20.
PSG will welcome the Spanish champions to the Parc des Princes on Tuesday, hoping to build on their 4-2 win over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium last week.
However, Enrique’s side face a tough test against a Barcelona team that have enjoyed an unbeaten start to the 2026/27 season, with Yamal emerging as one of their biggest attacking threats.
The 19-year-old scored a superb goal in Barcelona’s weekend win over Real Betis. He has also registered eight goals and six assists in nine La Liga appearances this season, alongside two goals and three assists in the Champions League.
Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s encounter, Enrique said PSG would seek to dominate possession and limit the teenager’s opportunities to trouble their defence.
“It’s very simple. The best way to defend against Lamine Yamal is to have the ball. That’s our ideal, but it won’t be like that because we know how difficult it is to play against Barça,” he said, as reported by Barça Blaugranes.
The former Barcelona manager also warned his players against focusing solely on Yamal, stressing that Hansi Flick’s squad have several players capable of influencing the outcome.
“We must concentrate on what we can do. We know they have many high-quality players; Lamine isn’t the only one. Raphinha, Pedri, Cubarsí, Joan Garcia… there are many. We will stay focused and alert. We must overcome this as a team,” Enrique added.
Enrique praised Barcelona’s playing style but insisted that PSG were determined to end their unbeaten run this season.
“It’s a motivation for us,” he said. “We’re motivated to be the only team to beat Barça this season.”
He also credited Flick with improving Barcelona’s results and developing a style that reflects elements of the German’s approach during his time at Bayern Munich.
Enrique stressed that PSG must attack effectively and work together to regain possession if they are to overcome the visitors.
“We’re motivated to take the ball away from them. It’s a big challenge for us. We’ll see what happens tomorrow,” he said.
Naija News gathered that PSG have won both of their Champions League matches this season but have recorded only four victories in seven Ligue 1 outings.
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