Luis Enrique says Paris Saint-Germain are aiming to finish the season without losing, having wrapped up the Ligue 1 title with six games to spare.
A 1-0 victory over Angers at the Parc des Princes, thanks to a goal from Desire Doue, helped PSG to a fourth straight Ligue 1 title and a record-extending 13th overall.
In fact, excluding 2019-20 (which was interrupted because of Covid-19), this is the sixth time in their last seven titles that PSG have been crowned before May.
With 74 points after 28 Ligue 1 matches this season, PSG have recorded their second-best points tally at this stage in the top-flight, having earned 77 points in 2018-19.
PSG can still break Nantes’ 30-year-old record of 32 games unbeaten from the start of the season. Although Nantes lost one game en route to the title in 1994-95, no French club has ever gone an entire league campaign without suffering defeat.
“Celebrating a title in early April shows that we’ve reached a very high level this season,” Luis Enrique told reporters. “We’ve achieved this target, but we have more games to play.
“We are motivated to try and finish this season unbeaten. Nobody has done that in France before, so that’s something that we want to achieve.
“That would help us in the Champions League and the Coupe de France.”
When Kylian Mbappe left PSG last season, fans were sceptical of Luis Enrique winning another title but the Spaniard has delivered in style.
Needing to replace Mbappe’s Ligue 1 haul of 27 goals last season, PSG’s forwards stepped up, with Ousmane Dembele leading the charge (21 goals) while being ably supported by Bradley Barcola (13).
Gone are the days when PSG relied on Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar for goals, with 18 different players scoring this season to give PSG 80 goals in 28 games – well on course to beat their tally of 81 in 34 games last season.
“I think I’m very lucky to have the profile of players with such intelligence and versatility that they are also able to attack and defend as one,” Luis Enrique said.
“When I see the team play as a collective in attack and defence, it means that when I asked for 11 players attacking and defending, it came true. It is what I have wanted for many months. I like it, and the fans like it.”
Such has been PSG’s dominance that they have dropped points in only five draws, while the victory over Angers stretched their winning run to nine Ligue 1 matches – a perfect record since the start of February which gave their rivals no chance to catch up.
PSG are still in the hunt for more trophies when they face Aston Villa in the Champions League quarter-finals, with the first leg taking place next week, while they take on Reims in the final of the Coupe de France next month.
“We have the last two months ahead of us; we’re in great form,” Luis Enrique added.
“Our target is to keep fighting and to go as far as possible in the Champions League.”
