Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano has charged his side to be at their best performance when they face European champions PSG on Sunday.
The United States representatives finished second in Group A to set up a fascinating round of 16 tie against PSG, who topped Group B at the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup tournament.
Speaking ahead of the clash, Mascherano acknowledged the superiority of Sunday’s opponent although he maintained that his side will not be pushovers.
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“It’s clear and we’re not naive, we know that we’re the weaker team around the time of the match, that’s clear, but that doesn’t mean you can kill us off beforehand. We’re going to fight, which is what it’s all about.
I think the most important thing for tomorrow is for us to put on the best performance we can, to be able to compete against not only an opponent with enormous hierarchy, but a team that has also shown us that in some ways it’s not a perfect team; there’s no such thing as a perfect team, and they can be hurt. We have to find a way to take advantage”, Mascherano stated.
Inter Miami are yet to lose at the tournament, playing out two draws with a single win in the group stage. PSG, on the other hand, suffered a shock defeat in their second group game to Brazilian side Botafogo.
“There’s the obvious differences in hierarchy. But we’ve done everything right, and I’ll repeat that. The most important thing is that tomorrow is not over yet, and I’m not going to hesitate to analyze what the team has done today”, he continued.
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“I want to believe we still have the chance to continue participating in this competition, and I think we have to focus our energies on tomorrow’s game”, the Argentine added.
The winner of the encounter will go on to face the winner of another round of 16 clash between German champions Bayern Munich and Brazilian side Flamengo, in the quarterfinals.
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