Luis Enrique offers PSG verdict on Chelsea & Liam Rosenior ahead of Champions League tie
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Paris Saint-Germain head coach Luis Enrique has had his say on Chelsea and Liam Rosenior ahead of the Champions League round of 16 first-leg clash on Wednesday.
Chelsea will have to make the trip to Paris for the first leg, before hosting PSG at Stamford Bridge for the second leg next week.
The Blues are at a disadvantage since they will have to face Newcastle United in a Premier League match this weekend, while PSG have been granted a weekend off by the LFP to focus on the Champions League tie.
Chelsea, however, will head into this match on a high after back-to-back wins over Aston Villa and Wrexham in the Premier League and the FA Cup, respectively.
PSG, on the other hand, suffered a 3-1 defeat to AS Monaco last Friday, although they are still at the top of the Ligue 1 table.
Not to mention that the two teams faced each other in the Club World Cup final in the summer, in which Chelsea came out the winners.
"We know Chelsea very well, having played them last summer," Enrique said in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
"They have changed their manager and players. We know how difficult these types of matches are, but we are looking to be ready to win."
On the differences between Chelsea and PSG, Enrique added: "We prefer to have possession of the ball rather than our opponents, and Chelsea do so effectively.
"They have a very good team with international players. It will be difficult for both teams."
Enrique will, of course, encounter another familiar face in Rosenior.
Rosenior already faced Enrique's PSG three times during his time at Strasbourg, and it ended with a win, a draw, and a loss.
Enrique was full of praise for his Chelsea counterpart.
"Liam has experience at the highest level with Strasbourg," the PSG boss explained.
"He played very offensively but also well in defence. We are in the midst of one of the most important matches. We will try to play our own game."
Gerry Crisandy is a freelance writer who has covered Chelsea for many years. His work has been published on The Chelsea Chronicle and Pride of London. He grew up idolising Michael Ballack and is a firm believer in expected goals.