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(MENAFN- Gulf Times) The wait is over. After days of anticipation, football fans in Qatar will finally get to witness the blockbuster match between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan today evening. Such has been the excitement surrounding this high-profile friendly that the tickets for the encounter at the Jassim bin Hamad stadium were sold out with a few days to spare.
Apart from the fans, the teams themselves are also looking forward to this duel. Both teams are leading their respective leagues and are looking to test themselves against quality European opponents. PSG are here as part of their Qatar Winter Tour training programme and are using this camp and the friendly to prepare for the second half of their season. "This winter camp is of great importance to us. There are a lot of important matches in the French League and in the Champions League in the second half of the season. We are training hard here and looking to benefit from this training camp. We hope for a good match tomorrow," said PSG coach Laurent Blanc during the press conference yesterday.
Inter coach Roberto Mancini is expecting a high-voltage clash, one that will entertain the thousands of fans in the stadium. "We are very happy to be here. We have good weather and good infrastructure here. We will play PSG, one of the top European teams. It will be a good game and the fans who come to the stadium will see a fantastic game with fantastic players," said Mancini yesterday.
For PSG, this match will also help them prepare for their Champions League Round of 16 tie against familiar opponents Chelsea. There's a lot of pressure on PSG to match their league success with a Champions League title. But coach Blanc believes that success in the Champions League shouldn't be the only yardstick to judge PSG. "If we want to judge one team, we have to judge it on the basis of all the competitions that we are taking part in. We are doing a good job in the local league. And we have great ambitions for the Champions League. PSG has done a good job during the last few seasons. We are keen to match the expectations of our fans and our administration," said the 50-year-old.
"We are working towards our goal of winning the Champions League. I have confidence in my players and know that we will do well. I am hoping that success in the Champions League reflects our success in the French championship," he added.
The Frenchman feels that his team not only represents the French league but also Qatar in the Champions League and he believes that his team is not too far away from winning the title. "In the last four seasons, PSG have had bigger objectives at the European level. And we are not just representing the French football but now we have another role to represent Qatar. Because they are the owners of our team. Players have the determination to achieve these objectives. If not this season, then in the coming couple of seasons, we will achieve our objective of winning the Champions League," said Blanc.
Inter are not playing in the Champions League because they failed to finish in the top 3 last season but with their current form which sees them top the Serie A standings, coach Mancini is feeling positive. "We have improved a lot from last year. Inter should be playing Champions League regularly. When we started this season, our target was to qualify for the Champions League. We are now at the top of the table but we don't know what will happen by the end of the season. It's possible for us to win the title but there are teams that are better than us. But we are at the top at the moment and that is important for us," said the Italian.
With both teams looking to showcase to the world that they are European powerhouses and not just kings of their own backyard, this match promises to be a keenly-contested affair. And that only bodes well for the packed stadium that is expected to turn up today evening.
Game on.