Luis Enrique insists PSG have no reason to panic after worst Ligue 1 start in 19 years

PSG’s 2-1 home defeat to Monaco on Friday left them without a win after their opening 3 league matches, with only 2 points on the board and an early 7-point gap to the leaders.

It is a deeply unusual position for the Paris club.

But Luis Enrique refused to sound alarmed, especially with PSG preparing to begin their Champions League title defence against Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday.

The club have also shown their faith in him by extending his contract until 2030 only days before the European campaign begins.

After the Monaco defeat, Luis Enrique pointed to the numbers rather than the result.

“There is no reason to worry. I say that sincerely,” he said. “How many shots on target did Monaco have? Two. How many goals? Two. We will see at the end of the season whether things balance themselves out.”

PSG led at half-time but conceded twice after the break, allowing Monaco to complete a comeback and maintain their perfect start under Filipe Luis.

Still, Luis Enrique believes the performance itself offered more encouragement than the scoreline suggested.

“What I want to say is that you should not only look at the result,” he added. “We pressed excellently, much better than in many matches where we did not concede. But luck was not on our side.”

The Spaniard went further, arguing that Monaco’s win was the exception rather than a sign of a wider problem.

“Monaco know that if they play against us like this 10 times, we will win 8, draw 1 and lose 1. This was that one defeat.”

It is a bold assessment, but it reflects the confidence Luis Enrique still has in his players and his methods.

PSG have not started a league season this poorly since 2007-08, when they eventually finished 16th and avoided relegation by only 3 points. In that campaign, Paul Le Guen’s side had to wait until their 6th league match for a first win.

That comparison will inevitably make supporters uneasy.

This PSG team, however, have a far stronger squad and far bigger ambitions, particularly as they chase a 3rd consecutive European title. Luis Enrique sees the difficult opening as motivation rather than a crisis.

“This is great motivation for my players, for the whole team and for the club,” he said. “If you want to bet on who will win the title at the end of the season, we can make a bet. Seven points? Fine. We will try to close that gap as quickly as possible.”