PSG boss Luis Enrique admits beating Messi's Miami 'harder than it may seem'
Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique said defeating Lionel Messi and Inter Miami on Sunday was trickier than it seemed regardless the French side's 4-0 Club World Cup round of 16 triumph.
Joao Neves' early strike sent PSG ahead and later they scored three extra in a flurry before half-time to take an unassailable lead.
Former PSG and Barcelona star Messi impressed in the second half as Miami battled well but could never find a way across.
"It is difficult to play versus stars of this calibre, it was difficult, but I think as a squad we did an excellent job," Luis Enrique told reporters.
"There's a visible difference between the first and second halves.
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their quality is evident, and I think we deserved the victory.
"It was harder than it may seem, after the first half.
"The Spanish coach said his PSG squad, who won the Champions League, Ligue 1 and the French Cup to claim their first always treble, are in spectacular form and are hoping to triumph in the United States.
"Clearly, we are experiencing a historic campaign for our club, we aim to go far in this competition," continued Luis Enrique.
"We are in the quarter-finals, with sole eight teams remaining.
Our strike is to progress as far as possible and to compete for the title.
But for that, we need to beat two extra knock-out rounds.
"The campaign is very long, as it is for every teams, but the motivation to be competitive is there.
"PSG winger Ousmane Dembele said he was "glad to see" Messi and his former Barcelona squad-mates Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Javier Mascherano.
"Leo is a unique person, to share a fixture with him was magnificent, I was a kid watching his magic on the television, so it's unique," said PSG defender Lucas Beraldo.
'Reality' hitsInter Miami coach Mascherano said he was pleased with his squad's display at the tournament regardless their eventual thrashing by PSG.
"We achieved the strike we had set for ourselves, we were very aware that we could compete up to a certain level, and this day reality has shown that," Mascherano told reporters.
"I am very satisfied with my stars, of the work they did in the competition (.
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) we tried to show in single fixture what we could do.
The gap is what it is, but I am very satisfied with them.
"Mascherano said his Argentine compatriot Messi was able to show his quality regardless the pipe.
"I think Leo played a great fixture, inside the options we had.
In the second half, we found him much extra.
In the first half, we couldn't due to Paris's pressure," said the coach.
"They slowed their tempo in the second half, and we were able to show what we usually do in MLS (Major League Soccer).
"Regardless PSG being arguably the best squad in the world at the moment, the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Atlanta was filled with Inter Miami shirts, mostly with eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi's number 10 on the back.
"PSG is in great form, champions of everything, but people still pay for a ticket to see Leo Messi, even at 38 years old," added Mascherano.
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