PSG boss Luis Enrique has claimed that his team were the unlucky ones not to win the game despite being awarded a controversial last minute penalty against Newcastle United.
PSG had of course created more chances and were the more threatening side on the night, but Newcastle were the ones who left the Parc des Princes absolutely gutted after holding onto a 1-0 lead until the 97th minute.
In an interview for PSG, Enrique claimed that his team should have and deserved to win simply because they had created more chances, but chose to ignore the fact that it was Newcastle who felt robbed because of the late penalty decision.
Enrique says football is ‘very unfair’
On another day perhaps PSG blow Newcastle out of the water and maybe Nick Pope doesn’t enjoy such a good game in goal, but football matches are not decided on who had the most possession or shots on target.
Alexander Isak had given Newcastle the lead after a bright spell for the Geordies in the first half and naturally they had looked to defend that lead in the second half, meaning they were set up defensively and less likely to open up and attack.
This invited PSG to play higher up the pitch which obviously led to the French champions carving out a huge number of chances, and it almost paid off for Newcastle had it not been for VAR.
Enrique, however, has since claimed that PSG had deserved to win the game despite not beating Pope in open play and growing frustrated by Newcastle’s excellent defensive efforts.
In his interview, Enrique said: “I truly believe that football is a very unfair sport, but that’s what makes it special, without disrespecting other sports.
“It’s a match we should have won right from the start. We had far more chances than our opponents.
“In short, we were the better side, but if you don’t convert you don’t win.
Newcastle proud after PSG performance
Despite what Enrique said, Newcastle are the ones who will feel the most robbed after giving absolutely everything for the full 90 minutes and coming up just short of what would have been a massive three points against PSG.
That said, a draw and a victory in their two legs against what is considered to be one of the best teams in Europe is nothing to feel ashamed about, especially taking into account just how many players were missing on the night.
Eddie Howe will be the first to tell them just how brilliant they had done to put themselves in a winning position in the first place and making sure they know that it’s still all to play for against AC Milan.
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