Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique praised his team’s fighting spirit following their second consecutive come-from-behind 2-2 draw, stating that resilience is the “hallmark” of the French and European champions.
Stoppage-time goals from Vitinha in the 91st minute and Marquinhos four minutes later secured a remarkable recovery for PSG against Lille on Friday in the second week of the Ligue 1 season.
“That’s the hallmark of this team over the last three years. When everyone thinks we’re dead, we have the ability to turn it around,” Luis Enrique said.
“I think we deserved more than this result, but that’s football. Football isn’t fair, you have to score goals. We deserve this point.”
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In their season opener last Sunday, PSG rallied for a 2-2 draw at Rennes — thanks to a brace from new signing Ferran Torres — to kick off their pursuit of a sixth consecutive Ligue 1 title.
“You might think that two points from two matches isn’t much, but when you consider the results we got last year at Rennes and Lille, we’ve actually picked up one more point from those two fixtures,” Luis Enrique added.
“We’re trying to stay positive, it’s clear we need to improve and perform at a higher level. But I think today the team showed its ability to fight until the very last minute.”
Friday’s draw extended PSG’s winless streak to three matches, as the team has struggled to bounce back since losing the French Super Cup to Lens. That defeat came just days after PSG secured the UEFA Super Cup against Aston Villa.
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“We know we’re a long way from being at 100 percent,” PSG captain Marquinhos told PSG TV after the game.
“At the start of the season, we’re playing against title contenders. These are top-class teams, Champions League sides. It’s tough, and as soon as we’re not at 100 percent, that shows in the result. We’re making small mistakes, which are normal at the start of the season, but we need to work on them to improve.”
PSG’s next match is Friday against Monaco at the Parc des Princes, their final Ligue 1 match before the start of the Champions League.
