Ligue 1: PSG have won nothing, Enrique warns players after Rennes draw

Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique has warned his players that they must step outside their comfort zone and continue proving themselves despite their recent success.

The warning came after PSG were forced to fight back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Stade Rennais in their opening Ligue 1 game of the season on Sunday, Reuters reported Monday.

PSG, who won the European Super Cup this month but lost the French Super Cup to Racing Lens, struggled in the first half at Rennes, prompting Enrique to make two changes at the break.

Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia were replaced by Mika Godts and Ferran Torres, with Torres scoring twice to rescue a point for the Parisians.

“Football is like that. Paris Saint-Germain have won nothing, nothing,” Enrique said of the new season, in which PSG are defending their Ligue 1 title and seeking a third successive Champions League triumph.

“If you think about what you’ve won, you’re not going to win anything! There is no credit. You have to show every day, every match, every training session, that you’re ready. Otherwise, it’s easy to relax and start slipping.

“I wasn’t brought up that way. We are always looking to win, and to keep winning, you have to step outside your comfort zone. Is that clear?” he asked.

Enrique said he was pleased with the impact of the players who came off the bench, particularly Torres, who scored twice on his debut after replacing Dembélé.

“He wasn’t bad, was he? He scored two goals, but I’m happy with everyone who came on in a very difficult match because we had a lot of trouble controlling Rennes in the first half,” Enrique said.

“They were good on the counterattack and scored two wonderful goals. It was complicated, but it’s important for me to see that so many players are ready.”

Torres, who scored Spain’s extra-time winner against Argentina in last month’s World Cup final, made an immediate impact for PSG after his move to the French champions.

“We sign players to go on a long journey with them. It’s very positive for him and we’re very happy,” Enrique said.

The PSG coach also said competition for places in his squad would be stronger this season.

“We’re always looking to find the best players for every match. Places in the team will be more difficult to get than last year, and that’s our ambition,” he said.

Enrique added that he was satisfied with PSG’s transfer business but acknowledged that the team still had work to do.

He concluded, “I think we had a very good transfer window, and we’re still open to different possibilities.

“Everyone knows how difficult it is for a team to keep winning. And clearly, we still need to improve.”