Luis Enrique dismisses talk of PSG being the favorite against Aston Villa in Champions League

PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique shrugged off talk of his team being the favorite against Aston Villa ahead of their Champions League quarterfinal match Wednesday.

While PSG has been a regular in the last eight since cash-rich Qatari investor QSI bought the club 14 years ago, and reached the semifinals last season, Villa has not been in this stage of the competition since 1983 — a year after winning the European Cup.

“People said we had no chance against Liverpool (in the round of 16), so in my mind there is no such thing as favorites," Luis Enrique said at a news conference Tuesday. "It's a very open and difficult match for both sides. I know it will be intense.”

PSG wrapped up a record-extending 13th Ligue 1 title on Saturday with six games to spare. Villa is pushing for a top-five finish in the Premier League to get back in the Champions League and is on a seven-game winning run heading to Paris for the first leg.

Luis Enrique, who guided Barcelona to the treble in 2015, is bracing himself for a tactical headache against a Villa side coached by Spanish countryman Unai Emery.

“Their strong point is their versatility, so it's hard to figure out how they're going to play. They can play with a low block (and) they bring the ball out brilliantly," he said. "Their biggest strength is how they attack from the back and reach the second line of attack quickly. It then becomes very hard to contain when teams are breaking from midfield.”

Emery is a respected opponent from the days when both men were coaching in Spain. Emery won the Europa League a record four times — three with Sevilla and one with Villarreal — and guided unheralded Villarreal to the Champions League semifinals in 2022.

“He deserves more recognition because he's a great coach with limitless energy," Luis Enrique said. "He probably already knows everything I am planning to do.”

For his part, Emery was full of praise for PSG, describing the French team — which he coached from 2016-18 — as one of the four favorites to win the Champions League with Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Barcelona.

“We are facing PSG after they beat Liverpool, who I think were the favorites before, and they beat them playing fantastic football,” Emery said.

“How we face them, how we show our capacity and potential to respond to everything they demand of us, tactically, individually, with the players they have, is a huge challenge for me and for my players.”

Villa could line up with attacking midfielder Marco Asensio, who is on loan from PSG. So Luis Enrique was asked if he has a problem with the fact Asensio is free to face PSG.

“On the contrary, I am delighted that Marco can play," he said. "I know him perfectly well, he's a player of the highest level, with great technical ability.”

Although PSG is unbeaten in domestic soccer this season, the last three matches have all seen sloppy first-half performances. Luis Enrique looked stunned when his side fell 2-0 down inside the first 30 minutes against second-tier Dunkerque last week in a French Cup semifinal, and he warned his players about lapses in concentration.

“The Champions League does not allow you to switch off for one second," he said. "You can't reach the quarterfinal without being completely focused.”

PSG will be without captain Marquinhos due to suspension for the first leg, and the defense remains vulnerable to set-pieces and corners.

They will also have to get past Villa's larger-than-life goalkeeper Emi Martinez, who traveled to Paris on Tuesday wearing a cap that appeared to display a rooster — a French national emblem — along with trophies he has won with Argentina's national team. Martinez was the goalkeeper when Argentina beat France on penalties in the World Cup final in 2022.

“He is mature, he is responsible,” Emery said of Martinez. “He is getting better controlling his emotions.”

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

FILE - PSG's Marco Asensio celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the French League 1 soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Montpellier at the Parc des Princes in Paris, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)

Aston Villa's Marco Asensio scores his side's second goal of the game, during the English Premier League soccer match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Aston Villa, at the American Express Stadium, in Brighton, England, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (John Walton/PA via AP)

Aston Villa's manager Unai Emery, left, and Matty Cash, right, attend a training session in Birmingham, England, Tuesday April 8, 2025, ahead of the Champions League quarter final first leg soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)

PSG's Marquinhos, right, and PSG Desire Doue celebrate winning the French League One championship title after the soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Angers at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (Franck Fife, Pool Photo via AP)

PSG's head coach Luis Enrique, celebrates winning the French League One championship title after the soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Angers at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (Franck Fife, Pool Photo via AP)

DENVER (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 39 points on 15-of-19 shooting and the Los Angeles Clippers evened their first-round playoff series against the Nuggets with a 105-102 win in Denver on Monday night.

“It feels like he didn't miss a shot,” James Harden said. “His shot-making ability is elite.”

Good thing, too, because his teammates were a combined 26 of 66 for a 39% clip.

“I made shots tonight,” Leonard said. “I just keep playing, try to stay in the zone no matter if I’m making or missing shots.”

And the fifth-seeded Clippers needed every bit of his brilliance to snatch the homecourt advantage in the series from the fourth-seeded Nuggets.

“This is what Kawhi lives for, getting healthy for the playoffs,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “We know if we've got a healthy Kawhi, we can win any series.”

After appearing in just two playoff games over the last two years, the 33-year-old two-time Finals MVP is healthy and looking like his old self after missed the first 34 games of the season because of lingering issues with his surgically repaired knees.

“I'm just happy I'm able to move, you know, coming out of the game feeling well,” Leonard said. “I sat and watched these playoff games the last two years, so yeah, to be front-line out there, it feels good.”

Christian Braun was long on a 3-pointer with 6 seconds left, and Nikola Jokic, who recorded his 19th career playoff triple-double, grabbed the rebound but also missed a 3, with 1 second remaining.

The series shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 Thursday night.

The Clippers, who lost Game 1 in overtime, haven’t lost back-to-back games since March 2-4, a stretch of 23 games, and they handed David Adelman his first loss in five games since replacing Michael Malone in a stunning move on the eve of the playoffs.

Jokic, just the third player to average a triple-double over a season, had 26 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists and Jamal Murray added 23 points for the Nuggets, who also got a bounce-back game from Michael Porter Jr. (15 points and 15 rebounds) after his 3-point performance in Game 1.

It wasn't enough against Leonard, who had 21 points at the break, including a pull-up 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer that broke a 52-all tie.

“To his credit, he was awesome tonight,” Adelman said.

“He just got to his spots,” Murray said. “And even when we're there he made some tough shots. He had a night. He got going and he was tough to stop.”

Leonard also had a key steal of a Jokic pass with 37 seconds remaining in the game, but Harden missed at the other end and Braun grabbed the defensive rebound with 11 seconds left.

The Nuggets committed 20 turnovers — the same number the Clippers had in Game 1 — and missed eight free throws. “That was a killer,” Adelman said.

Jokic had an uncharacteristic seven turnovers and missed 4 of 10 free throws.

Porter sprained his left shoulder in the closing minutes when he turned the ball over and hit the floor with Kris Dunn rolling over him in the scramble. Porter grimaced while getting dressed afterward and said he hoped that his shooting in L.A. won't be affected being that it was his left shoulder.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac, top right, looks to pass the ball to guard James Harden, bottom right, as Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., left, defends in the first half of Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoff series Monday, April 21, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden, center front, looks to pass the ball as Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32), forward Michael Porter Jr., center back, and center Nikola Jokic, right, defend in the first half of Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoff series Monday, April 21, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, top, drives to the basket as Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden, bottom, defends in the first half of Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoff series Monday, April 21, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, right, looks to pass the ball as Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, and forward Michael Porter Jr., center, defend in the first half of Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoff series Monday, April 21, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac, right, drives past Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, in the first half of Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoff series Monday, April 21, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)