Luis Enrique summarised his thoughts on Paris Saint-Germain before the next European encounter.
The Parisians have been far from imperious in Ligue 1, a division where dominance has been the order of the day for over a decade. They sit second in the standings, with a point fewer than Marseille, having fought back to earn a 3-3 draw against Strasbourg on the weekend.
Holders impressive in title defence
On the other hand, the Champions League holders have been impressive in the defence of their title, thrashing Atalanta 4-0 on opening matchday before beating Barcelona 2-1 without Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The confidence from their historic campaign continues to shine through under a man who encourages freedom of expression in a framework.
Eyeing a perfect continental record
The Spaniard seeks constant improvement, but he is happy with how the players are performing, and he hopes for the 100% record to continue in the continental campaign against Bayer Leverkusen.
Luis Enrique on his squad
"I think that a lot of our young players have grown in confidence and have shown that they've got quality. It's been a tricky and very different start to the season because we've faced difficulties that we don't usually face at this point in the campaign, but we've managed to show resilience.
"We'll look to play how we usually play to win the game and to do so having deserved it, even though it'll be tough. Leverkusen have signed 20 new players as well as a new manager, so they're a difficult team to analyse.
“They've got the quality and the ability to score goals, and they can also defend well in a fairly low block and apply significant pressure. Each match presents different situations, but we're calm and ready for the game.
"We want to pick up as many points as possible despite our very difficult draw, and tomorrow will be a good test for both teams. We're happy to have won our previous two games, but tomorrow's one will be different."
