Soccer-Master meets maestro as Luis Enrique prepares PSG for Messi challenge
The 54-year-old Spaniard, who led PSG to the Champions League crown in May, will now be tasked with confronting the same player who helped him secure nine major titles during their distinguished three-year association at Barcelona.
"I had the chance to coach Leo Messi at the peak of his game. But his peak has actually lasted 10–15 years or more," Enrique told reporters on Saturday.
"That's why I'd say he's the best football player in history... I had the chance to win every possible title with him at Barcelona."
However, the PSG coach warned there is more to Inter Miami than just Messi. "There's no doubt whatsoever that they have the right skills and quality," he added, noting that the American side's lineup features former Barcelona players Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez.
Asked about neutralising the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, Enrique stressed a collective approach. "If we want to stop Leo Messi, we can't rely on just one player because we'll be dead. We need collective defence, he can dribble past any player."
Despite being favourites, PSG remain driven after lifting the Champions League trophy. "We just won the Champions League, but we're thirsty and eager to keep showing that there's room for improvement," he said.
"What better place to do so than here in this amazing stadium, facing a team that includes Messi?"
MASCHERANO READY FOR CHALLENGE
Luis Enrique also highlighted the involvement of former mentee Javier Mascherano as the opposing coach. "He has everything it takes to become a top coach. I'm not surprised because I knew Mascherano very well as a player. He has been ready for a long time," he said.
Mascherano acknowledged the scale of the task facing PSG.
"We are not naive and we know that we are the weaker team, but that doesn't mean that they will kill us beforehand. We will fight," the Argentine manager told reporters.
"The challenge tomorrow is to test ourselves against the best team in the world. We know how difficult the match will be."
The knockout encounter represents a significant test for both sides, with PSG seeking to add global honours to their European success while Inter Miami aim to prove themselves against elite opposition.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Wimbledon: Zverev, Gauff make shock R1 exit, Andreeva, Rybakina advance
Arthur Rinderknech pulled off a stupendous effort after knocking out World No.3 Alexander Zverev in the first round of the Wimbledon men's singles. On Tuesday, July 1, Rinderknech took four hours and 40 minutes to win the match 7-6(3), 6-7(8), 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-4 on Centre Court. Both players had won a set each before play was suspended on Monday due to the curfew. When the match resumed under an open roof, Rinderknech came out firing, swiftly taking the third set. Despite squandering a 5-3 lead in the fourth-set tie-break, he held his nerve to eventually have the last 2025, Day 2 Highlights 'I don't even know where to start. My legs are still shaking. I'm just happy that the match is finished. It's very difficult, this sport But what a moment, such emotion,' Rinderknech said in the on-court interview after the match. 'You can't really be in control when you play someone like Sascha Zverev, the World No. 3. He has been at the top for so many years. It's my first Top 5 win, and in the biggest stadium in the world,' Rinderknech added. Rinderknech will next be up against Cristian Garin, who got the better of qualifier ChrisRodesch in the first round. World No.2 Coco Gauff, who was fresh from winning the French Open, had a torrid time at Wimbledon. The American two-time Grand Slam winner lost in straight sets to Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine. advertisementIt took Yastremska an hour and 19 minutes to beat Gauff, who hasn't yet played in the quarterfinals ever at the All England Club, 7-6 (7-3), 6-1. As far as Yastremska is concerned, she will next face qualifier Anastasia Zakharova in the second round. Andreeva, Rybakina dominant Mirra Andreeva and Elena Rybakina also made impressive starts to their campaign with dominant wins in the first round. Andreeva took an hour and 19 minutes to beat Mayar Sherif 6-3, 6-3 defeat. Andreeva will next be up against Italy's Lucia Bronzetti, who beat Jil Teichmann of Switzerland in straight sets in the first round. Rybakina, who won the Wimbledon 2022 title, on the other hand, defeated Elina Avanesyan 6-2, 6-1. She will next face Greece's Maria Sakkari in the second round. - EndsMust Watch
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Tennis-Sinner remains ice cool as Gauff, Pegula and Zverev join bonfire of seeds
By Shrivathsa Sridhar and Martyn Herman Tennis-Sinner remains ice cool as Gauff, Pegula and Zverev join bonfire of seeds LONDON -World number one Jannik Sinner stayed ice cool to move serenely into the Wimbledon second round but it was a second successive day of upsets at a sizzling All England Club as a succession of seeded players crashed and burned on Tuesday. American second seed Coco Gauff, chasing a French Open-Wimbledon double after her Paris triumph, was the day's most surprising casualty, losing 7-6 6-1 to Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska as the sun set on a sultry day. Gauff's compatriot Taylor Fritz, the world number five, survived a five-set firefight by the skin of his teeth against big-serving Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. But the same could not be said of 13 of the men's seeds who fell at the first hurdle a Wimbledon record since 32 seeds were introduced in 2001. Nine seeds also perished in the women's first round while the eight top-10 seeds to go out across both singles draws is the highest at a Grand Slam in the professional era. Germany's Alexander Zverev was the most notable men's casualty, the third seed losing 7-6 6-7 6-3 6-7 6-4 to France's Arthur Rinderknech in a marathon duel that began on Monday and was locked at one set apiece overnight. "I'm not sure he's ever played a match like that in his life," Zverev, who is still chasing a first Grand Slam title after 38 attempts, said. Italian Lorenzo Musetti, seeded seven, was also bundled out on Court Two by Nikoloz Basilashvili the same court where earlier American women's third seed Jessica Pegula was sent packing 6-2 6-3 by Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto. A red-hot Sinner never looked like joining the exodus as he beat fellow Italian and close friend Luca Nardi 6-4 6-3 6-0 in a victorious return to the Grand Slam stage after his epic French Open final defeat by Carlos Alcaraz last month. "I tried to put the friendship away for a couple of hours," Sinner, who conceded only four points when he landed his first serve, told reporters. After seven British players won singles matches on Monday a professional era record at Wimbledon home fans had more to cheer on Tuesday as fourth seed Jack Draper, his nation's big hope, avoided any dramas by easing past Argentina's Sebastian Baez who retired hurt trailing 6-2 6-2 2-1. In total, 10 British players have reached round two. KREJCIKOVA TESTED Women's defending champion Barbora Krejcikova was tested by promising 20-year-old Filipina Alexandra Eala, but after a slow start she found her form to win 3-6 6-2 6-1 on her return to Centre Court after last year's surprise triumph. "I mean, what the hell she played in the first set?," said Krejcikova, praising her opponent. "She was smashing the ball and cleaning the lines, so wow, wow. She's going to be really good in a couple of years." Five-times Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek, seeded eight, is yet to conquer Wimbledon but showed positive signs as she beat Polina Kudermetova 7-5 6-1 while Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva advanced after a 6-3 6-3 victory over Mayar Sherif. Both might have expected Gauff to be a major obstacle but the world number two subsided against Yastremska. The women's draw is now without three of its top five seeds after number five Zheng Qinwen of China, the Olympic champion, suffered a third successive Wimbledon first-round defeat, beaten 7-5 4-6 6-1 by Czech doubles specialist Katerina Siniakova. "I believe if I get through the first match, I will start to play better and better ," Zheng said. "The problem is the first match for me is complicated." Many will lament the exit of Wimbledon dark horse Alexander Bublik, seeded 28th. The Kazakh showman is guaranteed entertainment with his array of trick shots but he was unable to avoid the exit door, as he was dragged into battle by Spaniard Jaume Munar and beaten 6-4 3-6 4-6 7-6 6-2. Late in the day yet another seed fell as Frenchman Ugo Umbert was beaten by veteran countryman Gael Monfils, again defying his 38 years to edge a five-setter. American Fritz survived, though, letting out a massive roar as he beat Perricard 6-7 6-7 6-4 7-6 6-4 in a match carried forward from Monday. Perricard's consolation for losing the cliffhanger was a 153mph serve a Wimbledon record. Tommy Paul took out Briton Johannus Monday with little fuss, the 13th seed cruising through 6-4 6-4 6-2, but it was the end of the road for fellow American and 30th seed Alex Michelsen who fell 6-2 3-6 6-3 3-6 7-6 to Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic. Zeynep Sonmez became the first Turkish woman to reach the second round at the grasscourt Grand Slam when she battled past Romania's Jaqueline Cristian 7-6 6-3. Victoria Mboko found out a few hours before she faced Magdalena Frech that she had entered the main draw as a Lucky Loser due to Anastasia Potapova's withdrawal and the Canadian teenager rode her luck to stun the 25th seed 6-3 6-2. Fourteen years after first adding her name to the Wimbledon honours board, twice champion Petra Kvitova performed her last dance on the lawns, the Czech losing 6-3 6-1 to American 10th seed Emma Navarro. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Real Madrid edge Juventus 1-0 at Club World Cup; Kylian Mbappe returns
Gonzalo Garcia scored his third goal of the FIFA Club World Cup early in the second half, Kylian Mbappe made his first tournament appearance and Real Madrid reached the quarterfinals with a 1-0 victory over Juventus on Tuesday in Miami Gardens, Fla. Real Madrid edge Juventus 1-0 at Club World Cup; Kylian Mbappe returns Mbappe came on as Garcia's replacement for his first action under new manager Xabi Alonso after missing all three group stage games due to a gastrointestinal illness that led to a brief hospitalization. After scoring 31 times in La Liga and seven more in the UEFA Champions League, the star Frenchman's return should only boost Madrid's chances of securing a sixth Club World Cup title in this first expanded competition format. They'll face the winner of Tuesday's later second-round match between Borussia Dortmund and CF Monterrey on Saturday in East Rutherford, N.J. Michele Di Gregorio made 10 saves for Juventus, including denials of Arda Guler and Aurelien Tchouameni inside the final 20 minutes to keep his team's hopes alive. But his exceptional performance couldn't prevent a second consecutive defeat to a European foe after a 5-2 Juventus loss to Manchester City to close Group G play. Garcia broke through in the 54th minute. After an initial corner kick was partially cleared, Trent Alexander-Arnold gained possession and served an out-swinging early cross from the right. Garcia snuck in unmarked behind two teammates and their defenders to power in a header from 6 yards that left Di Gregorio no chance. Seven minutes later, Federico Valverde nearly scored one of the goals of the tournament, but Di Gregorio reacted excellently to deny his bicycle kick from close range at the left post. Juventus had the first quality chances. Randal Kolo Muani missed narrowly high on the run in the seventh minute. In the 23rd minute, Francisco Conceicao reached Andrea Cambiaso's cross, but saw his header saved comfortably by Thibaut Courtois. Madrid forced Di Gregorio into a pair of excellent stops later in the first half. In the 30th minute, he denied Jude Bellingham from close range on the right side of the 6-yard box after Valverde's pass played Bellingham in. A minute into first-half stoppage time, he dove to his left to push Valverde's excellent long-range effort around his left post. Madrid continued in the ascendancy after the break, with Bellingham and Dean Huijsen both forcing Di Gregorio into action again before Garcia broke through. Field Level Media This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
