FC Dallas coach Estévez: “The team with Messi is always the favorite”

With just hours to go before their Leagues Cup Round of 16 game, FC Dallas are preparing to face an Inter Miami side brimming with confidence.

Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba have all joined the MLS club, who will be looking to book a place in the quarter-finals of the competition this weekend.

On Friday, less than 48 hours before the match, FC Dallas head coach Nicolás Estévez spoke about taking on Gerardo Martino’s team, discussing the fixture and the main threat, Messi, on DSports Radio.

“Pep Guardiola has already made it clear. The team with Lionel Messi is always the favorite,” he said.

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Messi changed everything

Estévez, 43, is aware that Sunday’s match will not be just another game and knows that the pressure of playing in a knockout stage is compounded by the profile of the opposition.

The Spanish tactician does believe in his squad and, despite the differences, added: “We will try to be the bad guys in Messi’s Major League Soccer story”.

Estévez went on to discuss what MLS is like and how it has been massively impacted by the arrival of Messi. “Messi’s arrival changed everything,” he said.

FC Dallas’ Leagues Cup run

The team from Texas did not have a great start in the Leagues Cup. In their first match, after a 2-2 draw, they lost 4-1 in their penalty shootout against Charlotte FC. Against Necaxa of Mexico, they recorded an important 3-0 win that kept them going in the competition. And, with a 2-1 win over Mazatlán, they booked their place in the Round of 16, where they will be hoping to stop Messi and Co.

FC Dallas’ position in the MLS standings (eighth in the Western Conference) would have made them favorites a few weeks ago, however, with Inter Miami’s recent signings, things have changed.

When will Inter Miami and FC Dallas play in the Leagues Cup?

The Leagues Cup match between FC Dallas and Inter Miami will be played on Sunday, August 6, at Toyota Stadium in Texas.