Messi and Inter Miami ready to ‘fight' against ‘possibly the best team in the world' PSG, says Mascherano

New York Times

7 hours ago

Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano says his side should not be written off before facing European champions and 'possibly the best team in the world' Paris Saint-Germain in Sunday's Club World Cup last 16 fixture in Atlanta.
The teams will meet at noon local time in Atlanta and the MLS side are underdogs against Luis Enrique's team who demolished Inter Milan 5-0 in the Champions League final at the end of the European season.
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Miami qualified for the knockout stages unbeaten after taking two draws from Palmeiras and Al Ahly, as well as beating Porto but this game against PSG represents their sternest test yet in the competition.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Mascherano said: 'It goes without saying we are quite aware that we are the weaker of the two teams but in no way does this mean we should be declared dead before we have even started. We have won the right to be here. The challenge is to come here and fight against possibly the best team in the world.
'We cannot show up thinking we will throw in the towel. We need to give our darnedest to win. I don't know many times as a club we will get this opportunity so we need to make the most of it and enjoy it.'
Mascherano also said Lionel Messi will need to guide his less experienced team-mates through a high level knockout game.
Mascherano said: 'The best message is not Leo's words but his actions on the field; you saw it against Palmeiras, he gave us 95 amazing minutes, physically speaking he was almost at his limit, but still he set the pace for his colleagues and the rhythm, he knows how he needs to be guiding his colleagues, particularly the youngest ones.'
For Mascherno, tomorrow's match is an opportunity to face his former coach Luis Enrique. On Saturday, Mascherno said that the PSG manager, who coached Mascherano, Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets at Barcelona, is one of the managers 'who impacted me the most in my career.'
'I have a relationship with him that goes beyond football,' Mascherano said. 'I haven't seen him in a while — the last time, I think, was at the World Cup draw in 2022, so it's been quite a few years. It will be a joy to see him, and my relationship with him has been spectacular.
'With everything he went through this past season, I was incredibly, incredibly happy for him. But the goal tomorrow is to be up to the task, to do it the best we can, and why not— dream about pulling off an upset.'