Luis Enrique hits back at Maresca: “typical noise around PSG”

PSG won 4-2 at Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday. After the defeat, Enzo Maresca looked for an explanation in the Parisian schedule: “They can rest players when they play games just before the Champions League… it is different for us when we go to Anfield.” Foot Mercato is the only outlet reporting those words.

On Friday, on the eve of the trip to Strasbourg, Luis Enrique replied: “It is the typical noise around PSG. Even before arriving here, I heard that Paris would not win the Champions League because of the level. And now that the club has won it, it is also because of that. There will always be people complaining. We try to win every match we play.”

Sixth in the table, PSG stroll through nothing

Maresca’s complaint assumes a comfortable league. The table says otherwise: sixth, eleven points, and a first league win that only came in week four, against Brest. “If we win, we will be in the top three,” Luis Enrique reminded everyone on Friday. Strasbourg, Saturday’s hosts, sit eleventh on seven points and lost at Nice last weekend (1-2).

At the Meinau, the market only sees Paris

On Friday morning, PSG were priced at 1.45 with 1xbet to win at the Meinau: two chances in three, barely below the opening price (1.46). Maresca’s jibe has left the prices almost untouched. Our Strasbourg – PSG prediction looks where the market is tightest: under 3.5 goals at 2.00 with Bet365, minimum stake, no clear edge on that line.

On Tuesday, Barcelona come to the Parc des Princes in the Champions League, three days after Strasbourg. The schedule Maresca calls too comfortable is not one Luis Enrique picked: he just gets on with it.