PSG Stakes Claim As Favorite, Rout Atlético Madrid In FIFA Club World Cup
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) demonstrated their strong credentials as one of the favorites to win the FIFA Club World Cup, routing Atlético Madrid 4-0 in their Group B match at Rose Bowl Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday.
The scoreline could have been even wider for the French and European champions, who faced little threat from the Spanish side.
PSG entered this game having lost to Atlético in the UEFA Champions League group stage last season. However, the French champions went on to win that tournament last month, emphatically defeating Italian side Inter Milan 5-0 in the final.
The European champions started strongly, taking the game to Madrid, who seemed content to absorb pressure. Ousmane Dembélé, a contender for the Ballon d’Or, was rested for this match, with Gonçalo Ramos leading the attack.
PSG’s probing paid off in the 19th minute when Fabián Ruiz fired a low drive from the edge of the box, beating Jan Oblak. Atlético Madrid then showed some attacking intent and almost found an equalizer through Antoine Griezmann just before halftime, but his shot on the turn went straight into the gleeful hands of Gianluigi Donnarumma. This was Atlético’s first attempt on target, highlighting their poor performance in the first half.
Unpunished by that rare Atlético threat, PSG immediately went on the attack to double their lead. Vitinha, one of the season’s best midfielders and an engine for the French champions, surged forward and fired past a sprawling Oblak, capitalizing on the space afforded to him. This goal sent PSG into halftime with a comfortable 2-0 lead. It was another assist from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who had also set up the first goal for Ruiz.
PSG continued their dominance in the second half, bombarding Atlético Madrid. Nuno Mendes set up Kvaratskhelia, who cut inside and unleashed a powerful strike. Oblak managed to repel it, only for the ball to rebound off the crossbar.
However, the Spanish side did improve thereafter and thought they had pulled a goal back through Julián Álvarez’s brilliant strike. Yet, in the build-up to that goal, Koke was judged to have fouled Désiré Doué, and the goal was disallowed.
Things worsened for the Spanish side when Clément Lenglet was shown a second yellow card for dissent by referee István Kovács, resulting in a red card. With Diego Simeone’s side down to ten men, PSG held a distinct advantage to secure their first win in the FIFA Club World Cup.
Inexplicably, even with the numerical advantage, Atlético failed to capitalize on a golden opportunity when Alexander Sørloth had an open goal in front of him but blasted his close-range shot over the bar.
PSG then put the game beyond doubt as Senny Mayulu, who scored the fifth goal against Inter Milan to become the second-youngest player to score in a Champions League final, fired in the third after Madrid failed to clear their lines.
The scoring wasn’t over. PSG were awarded a penalty in stoppage time following an off-field review for a handball inside the box by Robin Le Normand. Lee Kang-In stepped up and confidently beat Oblak to score the fourth goal.
In an earlier match, Bayern Munich hammered part-timers Auckland City 10-0 at TQL Stadium. Star attacker Jamal Musiala scored a hat-trick, while Michael Olise netted a first-half brace before being substituted at half-time.
