Luis Enrique poses tactical challenge to Yaya Toure before Champions League opener

Luis Enrique has questioned whether Yaya Toure will adopt the same attacking approach with Slovan Bratislava when the sides meet Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday.

The Paris Saint-Germain manager was speaking ahead of the opening round of the competition’s first stage, with the match scheduled to take place at the Parc des Princes.

Toure, the former Cote d’Ivoire international, is beginning his first managerial assignment with Slovan Bratislava. Luis Enrique knows him from his playing days at Barcelona and recalled the midfielder’s quality and early coaching experience.

“When he was a player at Barcelona, I coached the youth sides and then the reserve team. He was a top-class player. And he gained experience as an assistant coach,” said Luis Enrique.

The Paris Saint-Germain manager added, according to French outlet Foot Mercato: “Slovan is his first experience. I saw a team that likes to keep possession of the ball. He is benefiting from his experience at Barcelona and Manchester City.”

Luis Enrique then raised the central tactical question ahead of the meeting.

“We will see tomorrow whether he shows the same attacking tendency or leans more towards defending?” he said.

The Spaniard also stressed the importance of managing the demands of a difficult Champions League fixture, particularly when playing away from home.

“You have to know how to manage things. Away matches are always difficult. When you play at home, there are things that can help you. But every match is complicated. You have to press as much as possible,” he added.

The comments underline the contrast between Toure’s possession-based outlook and the uncertainty over how aggressively Slovan Bratislava will approach the game at the Parc des Princes.

For Toure, the fixture represents an early test in his first spell as a manager. His previous experience includes working as an assistant coach, while his playing career featured spells at Barcelona and Manchester City.

Paris Saint-Germain will enter the match as the holders of the Champions League. The French club have won the last two editions of the competition under Luis Enrique’s management.

The meeting with Slovan Bratislava will therefore mark the start of Paris Saint-Germain’s latest European campaign, while Toure will face a familiar figure from his time at Barcelona in his first match in charge of the Slovakian side.

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