Club World Cup: PSG vs. Seattle Sounders Preview
PSG secured a win over Atlético de Madrid on Matchday 1 to earn three points, but on Matchday 2, reigning Copa Libertadores champion Botafogo pulled the upset victory. The Parisians still hold their destiny in their hands to advance to the knockout stage of the competition.
Despite their status as a European side, PSG found out firsthand that they will be receiving every club's best shot, so they need to take advantage of their scoring opportunities. Warren Zaïre-Emery stated that PSG could get into trouble if they don't put away their chances, as the loss against Botafogo showed.
"I think we are a very good team and we need to continue doing what we’re doing and make the most of our scoring chances. We approach every game the same way: we always try to give everything and do what the coach asks of us. We have one game left, it’s not over yet. We need to win our next game to qualify."
Seattle have endured two losses to Atlético de Madrid and Botafogo, but even though it's been a challenging competition, they'll look to pull off the upset in front of their home crowd. The Sounders have made competitive efforts against the opposition, so PSG will need to expect an opponent that won’t be rolling over.
The capital club are the UEFA Champions League winners and manager Luis Enrique stated after the loss against Botafogo that they should expect every team's best shot, which the team must expect when facing the Sounders, who have nothing to lose.
"Playing against us is an extra source of motivation for our opponents. We need to be better. That’s been our message since the start of the week. It’s normal that these matches are difficult."
PSG came into the tournament as one of the favorites, and while they stumbled on Matchday 2, Enrique and his side showed during their recent Champions League run that it’s not about how you start, but how you finish. If they reach the knockout stage, their hunger to lift another trophy could be exactly what drives them forward.
READ MORE:
