Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique admitted his side were lucky to claim the UEFA Super Cup after a dramatic penalty shootout win over Tottenham Hotspur. Despite lifting the trophy, the Spanish coach felt Spurs were the better team for most of the match.
Tottenham looked set for victory after Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero gave them a commanding 2-0 lead by the 48th minute. PSG, who were playing their first competitive match since a 3-0 FIFA Club World Cup final defeat to Chelsea in July, appeared sluggish and struggled to match Spurs’ intensity.
The French champions only found their rhythm late in the game. Lee Kang-in sparked a comeback in the 85th minute before Goncalo Ramos netted an injury-time equaliser, forcing the contest into penalties. PSG held their nerve in the shootout, winning 4-3 to secure the trophy.
However, Enrique was far from satisfied. He acknowledged that his team had been second-best for most of the night, attributing their struggles to a lack of match fitness. PSG had only been in training for six days, compared to Tottenham’s six weeks of pre-season preparation.
“For 80 minutes, I did not deserve to win,” he admitted. “Tottenham deserved the match. They were in form, they played brilliantly, and we had not trained enough. Football can be unfair we were very lucky in the last 10 minutes.”
The coach noted that the lack of preparation time led to poor decision-making and misplaced passes, making it difficult to execute their preferred style of play. He described the comeback as “like a miracle,” crediting his players’ belief and the support from the fans for the turnaround.
Enrique also took the opportunity to praise new goalkeeper Lucas Chavelier, who replaced Gianluigi Donnarumma amid growing speculation over the Italian’s future. Chavelier impressed with his composure under pressure in his first major outing for PSG.
“He showed big personality something you need at a club like PSG,” Enrique said. “The substitutes also played an important role, and I’m happy for them as well.”
While PSG celebrated another European success, Enrique’s comments underscored that there is still significant work to be done before the team reaches peak performance. For now, they will take the trophy, but their coach is under no illusions about how close they came to defeat.
