Lionel Messi renews old flames with PSG in FIFA Club World Cup with chance to become football's ultimate wildcard again
The new format of the FIFA Club World Cup has entered its knockout stage and has produced an absolute cracker of a contest that may otherwise never have graced the screens of football fans. Lionel Messi's Inter Miami will be in action in the round of 16, where they have the monumental task of trying to go toe-to-toe with the European champions, and Messi's former club, Paris Saint-Germain. Lionel Messi controls the ball during Inter Miami's final group stage game of the Club World Cup vs Palmeiras of Brazil.(REUTERS)
The Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta will play host to the contest, but Messi's Miami outfit will come in as underdogs against arguably the best team in the world. Luis Enrique, who previously managed Messi and several of his teammates at FC Barcelona, has created a monstrous team with plenty of athleticism and technical flair mixed in.
Miami, however, will think PSG are vulnerable: while they crushed Atletico Madrid 4-0 and eased past Seattle Sounders 2-0, these results sandwiched a shock 1-0 defeat to Brazilian outfit Botafogo. Messi and company will be trying to recreate that result: while they were held to draws by Al Ahly and Palmeiras themselves, they did have an impressive 2-1 victory against European team FC Porto.
Messi was in vintage form during that match against the Portuguese team, pulling the strings from midfield and creating chances for fun. Two fine goals for Miami, including a match-winning free-kick from the little magician from Rosario, proved to be the difference — and it will require that kind of sparkle of quality from Messi, even at 38-years-old, to try and topple his former team. Do PSG have too much in the tank for Inter Miami?
That remains Messi's solitary goal contribution from the group stages, but his sparking form otherwise will mean the Miami team won't be too concerned about their talisman. Messi will be able to call on all the experience of Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets, as well as some young talent around him who will be pumped up to put up a performance of a lifetime against the European giants.
PSG should win this match on paper: between Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Achraf Hakimi, Vitinha and others, they have truly elite quality all across the field. They beat a different Inter, this one from Milan, by erupting for five goals in the UEFA Champions League final.
But knockout contests such as these, at the end of a long and arduous season for the Parisiens, is where the biggest upsets are forged — especially with Miami in the midst of their own domestic season, and well warmed-up. "This is football - anything can happen. Maybe Sunday will be our day," said Miami coach Javier Mascherano, and there is truth to that.
There is still some magic in the feet of the Argentinian maestro: will PSG be able to live up to their standards and snuff it out, or is a little bit of history on the cards for Miami?
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