Atlanta (AFP) – Javier Mascherano insists his Inter Miami side can shock European champions Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup last 16 on Sunday, despite admitting they are levels below the French giants. With Argentine great Lionel Messi leading the charge, Miami surprised in the group stage as they progressed, but facing newly-crowned Champions League winners PSG in Atlanta is a “huge challenge” in the coach’s eyes.
“We will try to be up to the standard, we will try to do things in the best way we can, and why can’t we dream of being able to shock them?” Mascherano told a news conference Saturday. “My message (to the players) is that this is not over yet; there is a game to be played. We know we are taking on an opponent of unique power, one of the best in the world, but this is football. Tomorrow, why not try to play the best game possible, a near-perfect game for us, and have the chance of competing and some chance of going through?”
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Despite PSG being heavy favorites, Mascherano said his side cannot be written off before a ball is kicked at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. “We are not naive; we know that the feeling around the game is that we are the weaker team, that’s clear,” continued Mascherano. “That doesn’t mean they can kill us in advance. We will fight; that’s what it’s about. I think the beautiful thing about the game tomorrow is that we have earned the right to play it.”
The coach said he was glad 38-year-old playmaker Messi played for Miami now, rather than PSG. “Everything around Leo generates a lot of interest; we Argentines know that after the World Cup (win in 2022) and all of that,” said Mascherano. “The most important thing is that Leo is well and that Leo plays for us. I think that helps keep us calmer than anything. And after that, it’s a game of football.”
– Reunion –
Mascherano was also looking forward to meeting PSG boss Luis Enrique, who coached him, as well as Miami players Messi, Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez, and Jordi Alba at Barcelona, all of them winning the treble together in 2015. “Luis is one of the best coaches I’ve had in my career; I have a good personal relationship with him,” said Mascherano. “He was one of those who convinced me to stay at Barca back in that era… he’s a great coach who has shown it with Barcelona, now in Paris, and also in the Spanish national team… It’s also good to test yourself against this type of coach, this type of team; it’s a challenge.”
Inter Miami earned a surprise win against Portuguese side Porto on their way to qualifying second from Group A behind Palmeiras. Federico Redondo, son of former Real Madrid midfielder Fernando Redondo, accepted his team will have to defend well to stand any chance of securing a result against the French champions. “The reality is they are the best team in the world, and when you have a team of that level, they dominate you and oblige you to defend more,” said the 22-year-old Argentine.
Redondo said his father had not given him any special advice for the clash against Champions League winners PSG. “(He said) what he always does, that I should enjoy it, and that we keep doing what we’ve been doing, that we’ve had three great games,” added Redondo.
© 2024 AFP
