SOCCER: Munich memories provide fuel for Luis Enrique and PSG against Bayern

MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) - Paris St Germain return to the scene of last season’s Champions League triumph on Wednesday when they face Bayern Munich in the second leg of their semi-final, with manager Luis Enrique drawing confidence from past successes at the Allianz Arena.

PSG arrive with a narrow advantage after a thrilling 5-4 win in the first leg at home. The French side now head to Munich, where they lifted their first Champions League title last May with a dominant 5-0 victory over Inter Milan.

Luis Enrique also has fond memories of the stadium from his time with Barcelona, when he guided the Spanish club past Bayern Munich in the semi-finals on their way to winning the competition a decade ago.

“Of course we have brilliant memories here,” Luis Enrique told reporters on Tuesday. “Coming back to Munich will always be a real pleasure because we can remember what we experienced last year.”

“If I go a bit further back to when I was Barcelona coach, the year we won the Champions League we played the semi-final here against Bayern in the second leg and went on to win the final. So that is another source of motivation for me.”

After a chaotic first leg in which PSG led 5-2 before Bayern narrowed the gap, the tie remains finely balanced heading into the return match. Luis Enrique expects another intense encounter.

“As coaches, we always say there is a difference between the first match and the second,” he said. “Normally it’s because of the result, the stadium, or the differences between the two teams. But in this case, I can’t say it will be any different from what we saw in the first match.”

“I think neither team accepts that the other is better, and that’s what this match will reflect.”

Despite holding a one-goal advantage, Luis Enrique insisted PSG will not adopt a defensive approach in Munich.

“As a team we have the same target as in every away game,” he said. “That is our mentality. We try to win every match and we don’t need to play for a particular result because we just want to win tomorrow.”

“We are ready, we know that Bayern can get back into it and that we can also score goals. We are certainly not here to defend.” -Reporting by Trevor StynesEditing by Toby Davis/Reuters