River Plate goalkeeper Marcelo Barovero has urged his teammates to muster a performance befitting of the occasion as they prepare to face Mexican side Tigres in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores final.
Barovero and co. must negotiate the away leg in Monterrey first on Wednesday evening, with Tigres widely considered favourites after finishing seven points clear of River in the group stage of the competition.
The Buenos Aires giants have not won the Copa Libertadores since 1996, when the squad contained their current coach Marcelo Gallardo, and Barovero is desperate for his team to seize their chance.
"Getting this far is not something many manage to do," he was quoted as saying by Ole.com.
"The important thing is to rise up to [the occasion]. This is the final, but we know that we have to be calm, we have to work, listen to the coaching staff on the game plan and take that on to the pitch.
"There are 180 minutes. The second game is more complicated because in the first there is a certain liberation, knowing that there are 90 minutes remaining."
River sealed their progress to the final after beating Paraguay's Guarani 3-1 on aggregate. Tigres, meanwhile, had lost the semi-final first leg against Brazilian side Internacional but won the second 3-1 to seal a 4-3 aggregate win and a first-ever final appearance.
Adding glamour to that was the goal scored by new arrival Andre-Pierre Gignac, while another man full of confidence will be defender Jorge Torres Nilo, who helped Mexico to a seventh CONCACAF Gold Cup in Philadelphia on Monday by beating Jamaica in the final.
Having swiftly jetted back for a taste of Libertadores glory, Nilo told Tigres' official website: "I'm available. I have really wanted to play, I'm ready for whatever [the coach] decides.
"We are flattered to be in the final and whether or not we are favourites, we will enjoy it and try to leave all of us on the field, let's leave it all on our part for the cup to stay here."