Inter Miami can dream of shocking PSG: Mascherano
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.
Advertisement
"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 be 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."
Despite PSG being heavy favourites, Mascherano said his side cannot be written off before a ball is kicked at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Advertisement
"We are not naive, we know that the feeling around the game is 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."
Advertisement
- 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."
Advertisement
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.
rbs/rcw
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
PSG vs Inter Miami Live Stream – A Guide About Paris Saint-Germain's Next Club World Cup Match
Paris Saint-Germain is in the Round of 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup and will go up against Lionel Messi and Inter Miami in the knockout stage. Paris Saint-Germain topped Group B in the FIFA Club World Cup and will now play Inter Miami in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. The Round of 16 matchup is highly anticipated as Lionel Messi leads the Major League Soccer side against his former club. Advertisement Watch PSG vs Inter Miami for FREE with DAZN on any device! Paris Saint-Germain defeated Atlético Madrid and Seattle Sounders in the group stage to set up this intriguing matchup with Inter Miami. PSG are not invincible, however, as they also lost 1-0 to Botafogo in the group stage. Inter Miami finished second in their group but did manage to defeat Porto and draw against Palmeiras. A win for Inter Miami would easily be one of the biggest in club history and for PSG, an embarrassment coming off their UEFA Champions League title run. How to Watch PSG vs Inter MiamiAll eyes will be on this matchup between PSG and Inter Miami. PSG's manager, Luis Enrique, has named a high-quality starting lineup with Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal, Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes at full-back, Willian Pacho and Marquinhos at center-back, Fabian Ruiz, João Neves, and Vitinha in midfield, and up front, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Désiré Doué, and Bradley Barcola. Ousmane Dembélé, the frontrunner for the Ballon d'Or, starts on the bench. Advertisement For those who couldn't make it to Atlanta for the match, the best way to watch PSG at the Club World Cup is DAZN. The quality of the coverage has been world-class, and you won't want to miss a second of the action. Once you're streaming with DAZN, you'll be able to not only watch PSG vs. Inter Miami, but all of the knockout stage matches of the Club World Cup. How Motivated Will Messi Be Against PSG? Messi played two seasons at PSG, and despite winning domestic trophies, Les Parisiens failed to get past the Round of 16 of the Champions League with arguably the best player of all time. Since leaving PSG, Messi has stated that he wasn't happy in the French capital, which could explain the lackluster results in the Champions League. There was also a situation where Messi skipped a training session and was forced to post an apology video. There could be some resentment from Messi and PSG heading into this matchup, which only adds to the excitement leading up to kickoff.
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
LeBron James formally opts in for a 23rd season, will make $52.6M in 2025-26, AP source says
FILE - Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) shoots as Minnesota Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (9) defends during the first half in Game 5 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File) FILE - Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James appears during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, on Feb. 10, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File) FILE - Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James appears during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, on Feb. 10, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File) FILE - Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) shoots as Minnesota Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (9) defends during the first half in Game 5 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File) FILE - Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James appears during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, on Feb. 10, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File) LeBron James is exercising his $52.6 million option with the Los Angeles Lakers for 2025-26, further confirming that he will become the first player in NBA history to play a 23rd season, a person with knowledge of the decision said Sunday. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither James nor the team announced the decision publicly. Advertisement ESPN and The Athletic were among those to first report the decision. James, who recently returned to on-court workouts after taking several weeks to recover after spraining a knee ligament in the Lakers' final game of this past season's playoffs, told the AP earlier this month that he expected to be ready for training camp. That was an obvious sign he planned on returning for a 23rd year, one in which he'll break a tie with Vince Carter for longest NBA career by a player. 'I have a lot of time to take care of my injury, my knee, the rest of my body and make sure I'm as close to 100% as possible when training camp begins in late September,' James said in that interview. If any doubt existed even after that about James, the NBA's oldest current player, coming back for at least one more season, it's gone now. He had until Sunday afternoon to make his decision on the option, one that pushes his career on-court earnings to about $580 million. Advertisement This coming season will be his first full year with Luka Doncic as a teammate. Doncic was traded to the Lakers from Dallas in February, but the team — which entered the postseason as the No. 3 seed in a loaded Western Conference — still fell in Round 1 to Minnesota. James turns 41 in December. He's been an All-NBA pick in 21 of his 22 seasons in the league, including a second-round nod this past season. No other player has more than 15 All-NBA selections. He averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists this past season. The NBA's all-time scoring leader has appeared in 1,562 regular-season games, 49 behind Robert Parish's mark of 1,611 — the most in league history. If healthy, James would obviously figure to break that mark this coming season. ___ AP NBA:
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Juventus 2-5 Manchester City: Rodri stars on return to starting XI as Bianconeri humbled in Orlando
Manchester City were unrelenting on Thursday night as they put five goals past Juventus to top their Club World Cup group. The two sides came into the match level on both points and goal difference, but with the knowledge that whoever finished atop the group would move on to a more friendly side of the knockout draw, likely to avoid the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid. Advertisement City had cruised through the tournament until this point and today faced their first proper test, but swiftly reduced the 36-time Serie A champions to the level of their minnow groupmates Wydad AC and Al-Ain, closing out the group stages with a statement win marked by flashy, swaggering goals. Juventus will progress despite the humbling defeat, but will likely be made to face Real Madrid in the round of 16, a task they will not look forward to after a demoralising result. City, on the other hand, look set to face RB Salzburg. City finding a new top gear coincided with Rodri's return to the starting lineup, ten months after suffering an ACL injury which saw him miss much of last season. He produced the same kind of display which won him the Ballon d'Or, pulling the strings from midfield as he completed 65 minutes. City wasted little time out of the blocks. Rayan Ait-Nouri and Jeremy Doku were both lively in the early stages, so it was little surprise that they would be the men to combine for the opener. Advertisement The Algerian full-back slotted a sumptuous ball through to the winger, who cut inside and delivered a tidy curled finish into the far bottom corner, well beyond the reach of the 'keeper Michele Di Gregorio. Their lead did not hold for long, though. An uncharacteristic misplaced pass from Ederson found only Teun Koopmeiners, who drove at goal and fired home ruthlessly from close range in what would prove to be the only clear-cut Juventus chance of the half. Ederson was lucky, though, as his error was not the worst of the day, or even the worst of the half. City's lead was soon restored as Pierre Kalulu produced a baffling own goal. Pierre Kalulu remonstrates after his own goal (Getty Images) Matheus Nunes drove to the byline and squared a tame cross into the empty penalty area. Kalulu, under no pressure, turned the ball into his own net from the edge of the six-yard box. Advertisement Omar Marmoush did what he could to extend City's lead before the break, forcing a fingertip save from Di Gregorio with a 30-yard piledriver, but the advantage remained at one as the whistle blew. That effort proved his final involvement, too, as he was replaced by Erling Haaland at halftime. The talismanic Norwegian had an immediate impact. Tijjani Reijnders flashed down the right flank and pulled a cross across the box for Haaland to bundle home. It was not the prettiest finish of his career, but they all count. City then produced their statement goals of the afternoon. After a rare Juventus chance, Ederson hoofed the ball long to Haaland, who fed Foden and Savinho to walk the ball over the line, immediately quashing any threat of a comeback. Another punishing blow followed as Di Gregorio saved well from Haaland, only to see Savinho smash a screamer in off the bar from 25 yards. Advertisement Kenan Yıldız then teed up Dušan Vlahović to pull one back, but, it was far too little, far too late. Igor Tudor will be left to pick up the pieces and answer awkward questions after leaving some of his top players out of the starting 11. He must do so quickly, too, with the round of 16 only a few days away. Pep Guardiola, though, is sitting pretty. He and City could not be in a more comfortable position as they head into the knockout phase as definite favourites.
