Luis Enrique Names Best Way to Stop Lamine Yamal Ahead of PSG vs Barcelona

Luis Enrique says the best way for Paris Saint-Germain to stop Lamine Yamal is to keep the ball away from Barcelona when the two sides meet in the Champions League on Tuesday.

"The best way to stop Lamine Yamal is to keep the ball away from Barcelona," he said at his pre-match news conference on Monday. "If he cannot get the ball, everything is calm. That would be ideal, but we know it won't be the case because it is difficult to play against Barcelona and Lamine Yamal."

The game at the Parc des Princes pits back-to-back European champions PSG against Barca, who have won all 11 of their games in all competitions this season. They have scored 48 goals in that run, an average of more than four a game. Both teams have also won their first two Champions League matches.

Recent clashes, including PSG's 2-1 win in Barcelona last year, have featured Yamal's duel with left-back Nuno Mendes. Mendes is injured and misses the game, so Yamal will likely face Lucas Digne. Luis Enrique said the whole team has to deal with the threat. 

"The way to defend a team with their quality is to be wary and approach it as a team. But it's not just Lamine. There's Raphinha, Pedri...there are a lot of top players."

Yamal, 19, has scored nine goals and set up 10 this season. He is often compared with Lionel Messi, but the PSG boss, who coached Messi at Barca, warned against that. 

"I think Lamine wants to be Lamine and he is doing very well," he said. "He is improving in every aspect of his game, but if you compare him with the best player ever, there will only be one winner. Maybe we can speak in the future about that, but right now it is best not to compare him with Messi."

Luis Enrique also played down the importance of the result. "The structure of the competition allows this game to be played now, but it doesn't show what the future may look like," he said. 

"I know we are both among the favourites, but there are other teams as well. This is just getting started. The competition will start in April, not now. And the teams that are there in April will compete for the trophy. This will be a very competitive match, but it's just three points at stake."

The tie is an emotional one for him, given his long history at Barca. "I am a Barça member, I played there and was the coach," he said. 

"I have an incredible relationship with Catalonia. My wife and children are Catalans. But we often face Barcelona. It was strange at first, but now I am getting used to it. They play similar football to us. They have so much quality and showcase values I like."

He added: "I love watching Barça, the way they play. It's great to see the ambition and identity, which is similar to what we are looking for. But of course I would love to win tomorrow, as a Parisian, and we want to become the first team to beat Barça this season."