Paris Saint-Germain have endured a dismal start to the Ligue 1 season, failing to win any of their first three matches for the first time in 19 years. Friday's 2-1 home defeat to Monaco left the Parisian club with just two points, already seven behind the league leaders.

Despite this alarming form, PSG's management announced a contract extension for head coach Luis Enrique until 2030, just days before the club begins its Champions League title defense. The decision signals confidence in the Spanish tactician despite the early-season struggles.

"There is no reason to be concerned. I say that honestly. How many shots on target did Monaco have? Two. How many goals? Two. We'll see at the end of the season whether things balance out," Enrique said after the match, defending his team's performance.

"What I want to get across is that you shouldn't look only at the result. We pressed sensationally, much better than in many matches when we did not concede a goal. But luck was not on our side. Monaco know that if they play against us like this 10 times, we win eight, there'd be one draw and we'd lose once. This was that one defeat," he insisted.

PSG's worst start since the 2007-08 season, when they finished 16th and narrowly avoided relegation, has raised concerns among fans. In that campaign, Paul Le Guen's side waited until the sixth league game to record a victory and ended up only three points above the drop zone.

Enrique, however, remains optimistic, calling the seven-point deficit "incredible motivation" for his players. "If you want to bet on who will be champions at the end of the season, we can place a bet. Seven points? OK, we will try to make up that deficit as quickly as possible," he added.

PSG now turn their attention to the Champions League, hosting Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday, as they chase a third consecutive European title.

Source: www.aljazeera.com