Luis Enrique puts respect on Arsenal before PSG's final in Budapest

Luis Enrique did not waste time on bravado after Paris Saint Germain reached the Champions League final. He praised Arsenal, praised Mikel Arteta, and described the final as “difficult” and “hard” while PSG booked a second final in a row. The meeting is set for May 30 in Budapest, with Arsenal going into their first Champions League final in 20 years.

Enrique's message after beating Bayern

PSG got there by beating Bayern München 5-4 in the first leg and drawing 1-1 in the second, a 6-5 aggregate win that had enough tension in it to explain the manager's tone. Enrique said, “It will be difficult, hard game but we believe in our football style.” He also said, “I appreciate Mikelito Arteta! We used to be teammates when we were kids, he did a great job at Arsenal.”

That is a fairly clear way of setting the table. Enrique did not talk like a manager celebrating a draw he expects to win before kick-off. He talked like someone who knows Arsenal are not just another final opponent, especially with the brief placing them top of the Champions League table and top of the Premier League table.

Why PSG's route gives the final extra weight

There is a football reason Enrique's comments land properly. PSG did not cruise through the semi-final, and they are not arriving in Budapest as if the final is a formality. Enrique himself said the Bayern tie was “very intense” and “very difficult”, and that PSG are “so happy to reach a second Champions League final in a row”.

The same night also produced more evidence that PSG have attacking players capable of deciding tight games. Ousmane Dembélé scored inside five minutes to put PSG two goals ahead in the tie, while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia added an assist in the second leg. Kvaratskhelia also said PSG respect all teams and will “prepare our game”, a line that fits the manager's approach rather than contradicting it.

PSG have also faced five Premier League teams this season, so Arsenal will not be walking into a completely unfamiliar tactical problem. That does not make the final predictable. It does mean Enrique's respect-first message is backed by the kind of run that usually leaves a manager wary rather than loud.

The referee row that followed Bayern's exit should stay separate from PSG's route. Jan-Christian Dreesen said João Pinheiro's limited Champions League experience might explain some of the calls, but Bayern's complaint does not prove the result was decided that way. PSG advanced on aggregate, and the football on the pitch is what put them into the final against Harry Kane and Bayern earlier in the tie.

For PSG, the useful part is simpler. They are back in the final, they have a manager talking up the opponent instead of the occasion, and they go into May 30 with a clear warning from the man in charge: Arsenal will be difficult, hard, and worth treating like the kind of opponent that can make a final go either way.