River Plate coach Marcelo Gallardo assured this Friday that this Saturday's FIFA Club World Cup match against Rayados de Monterrey “is not a final” for his team, but urged them to “take it as such”.

“It is a decisive match, not a final, but we have it to be taken as such," Gallardo said at a press conference at the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, where the duel between Argentines and Mexicans will take place tomorrow.

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“It gives us a chance to get a win, to qualify,” added the Argentine coach.

River Plate won 3-1 against Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan in their debut, while Monterrey drew 1-1 with Inter Milan.

Gallardo said that Rayados de Monterrey “is a big team in Mexico, with a very good squad, with good players, with a prestigious coach who just arrived - Domenec Torrent -, who will try to get his message across quickly.”

“It puts us in a position where we’re going to face an opponent that we have to respect, but we have to understand that we have what we have and with a win we qualify,” he insisted.

Monterrey doesn’t see River Plate as having an easier time than Inter Milan

Domenec Torrent, Monterrey’s coach, warned this Friday that River Plate "It's not going to be easier" than Inter Milan, with whom the Mexicans drew in their debut.

"We would be wrong to think that River will be easier than Inter. It's going to be very complicated, they're a team with a lot of tradition," said Torrent in a press conference at the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena (California), where they face the Argentines tomorrow.

Tomorrow's match is key for qualifying for the round of 16 of the tournament, with both teams in a good position after the results of the first matchday.

"It's a very important match (River's) because tomorrow they play for qualification. "A draw could give us a chance against the Japanese team Urawa Red Diamonds," he said.