PSG 'dead' unless they keep improving: Luis Enrique

Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique said Friday his team will keep adapting and improving to pursue future success and if they failed to do so they would be "dead".

AFP , Saturday 5 Jul 2025,
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Both Luis Enrique's PSG and Kompany's Bayern, champions of the French and German leagues res
Manager Luis Enrique of Paris Saint-Germain speaks to the media during a press conference ahead of their FIFA Club World Cup 2025 match 59 between Paris Saint-Germain and FC Bayern München at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on July 04, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo: AFP

 

The European champions face German giants Bayern Munich on Saturday in the Club World Cup quarter-finals in Atlanta and the Spanish coach said they will not keep relying on the same system.

PSG played an entertaining attacking style with three forwards on their way to Champions League glory, but Luis Enrique said one day he would diverge.

"We will change it because teams adapt -- in football there is nothing magical," Luis Enrique told reporters.

"When you overcome the press, your opponent adapts, when you create superiority in an area, your opponent adapts, there is no magic formula.

"There is no coach who has a system or a move, and that's it, that's the difficulty of modern football, all coaches are prepared, all players are better physically and technically than ever."

"So, you adapt, you improvise, and you become unpredictable for your opponent, or you are dead."

Luis Enrique said playing the same way that led PSG to a first treble this season would not suffice going forward.

"It's not enough to do what we've done this past season in the next, we have to change, we have to improve things," added Luis Enrique.

Bayern Munich beat PSG 1-0 in November in the Champions League group stage, before the French side found their stride and went on to triumph in the competition for the first time.

"We have a little bit of revenge to take, we know they're a tough team, but we're much stronger than in November," said Ousmane Dembele, who was sent off in Munich.

"A lot has changed -- the players have clearly raised their level, I've raised my level too, and we have a lot of confidence. We know what we need to do on the field, we can beat any team."

The 28-year-old is a leading Ballon d'Or contender after a superb campaign, although has only made a brief cameo as a substitute in the Club World Cup thus far.

Dembele suffered a quadriceps injury during the Nations League at the start of June and came on in PSG's 4-0 romp against Lionel Messi's Inter Miami.

The forward said he is now "100 percent" fit but it is up to Luis Enrique whether he starts against Bayern at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

"It's not the time to give information to my opponent -- we'll see tomorrow," said Luis Enrique.

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Group A W D L P
Palmeiras
1 2 0 5
Inter Miami
1 2 0 5
Porto
0 2 1 2
Ahly
0 2 1 2
Group B W D L P
Paris SG
2 0 1 6
Botafogo
2 0 1 6
Atletico Madrid
2 0 1 6
Seattle Sounders
0 0 3 0
Group C W D L P
Benfica
2 1 0 7
Bayern Munich
2 0 1 6
Boca Juniors
0 2 1 2
Auckland City FC
0 1 2 1
Group D W D L P
Flamengo
2 1 0 7
Chelsea
2 0 1 6
Esperance
1 0 2 3
Los Angeles FC
0 1 2 1
Group E W D L P
Inter Milan
2 1 0 7
CF Monterrey
1 2 0 5
River Plate
1 1 1 4
Urawa Reds
0 0 3 0
Group F W D L P
Dortmund
2 1 0 7
Fluminense
1 2 0 5
Mamelodi Sundowns
1 1 1 4
Ulsan HD
0 0 3 0
Group G W D L P
Manchester City
3 0 0 9
Juventus
2 0 1 6
Al-Ain
1 0 2 3
Wydad
0 0 3 0
Group H W D L P
Real Madrid
2 1 0 7
Al-Hilal
1 2 0 5
RB Salzburg
1 1 1 4
Pachuca
0 0 3 0