PSG more confident than last season despite injuries, Luis Enrique says

Paris St Germain are more confident than last season as they begin their Champions League title defence at home to Atalanta, manager Luis Enrique said, despite key forwards Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue being sidelined.

Dembele faces six weeks out with a hamstring injury and Doue around four weeks due to a calf problem sustained playing for France.

The 2024-25 treble winners have started the domestic campaign strongly are unbeaten in Ligue 1. They beat Lens 2-0 on Sunday thanks to a double from 23-year-old France forward Bradley Barcola.

Defender Lucas Beraldo will also miss the Atalanta game on Wednesday due to an ankle problem.

"We have more confidence than last year at this moment of the Champions League," Spaniard Luis Enrique told reporters on Tuesday.

Three defeats and a draw in last season's eight-game league phase left the Parisians outside the top eight, and they reached the knockout rounds only through the playoffs.

"Last year, it was a complicated moment because of the lack of efficiency (due to the number of games). But it is the normal process of a team that wanted to improve... For me, it's harder to win the first than the second or third." Luis Enrique said.

"The first title is always difficult because the players don't think they're capable of winning it. But we showed the way. Now, the whole of PSG and the young players want to win it they know they're capable."

PSG, who stormed to their first Champions League title with a 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in the final, also reached the Club World Cup final in July where they were beaten 3-0 by Chelsea.

"It is in my mentality to seek improvement, to show the players that there is no calm, or complacency about the future, we must constantly think about getting