FIFA Club World Cup, Group Stage, 15/06/25
Paris Saint-Germain began their FIFA Club World Cup challenge with a convincing 4-0 victory over a subdued Atletico Madrid side at the Rose Bowl stadium.
Match Report
Resembling a pre-season fixture, the match was played at a relaxed tempo, particularly in the opening period. PSG dominated possession, patiently controlling the game without immediately pushing for high intensity.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia tested the keeper early, before Fabián Ruiz opened the scoring in the 18th minute with a superb strike from outside the area. Atletico Madrid found it hard to challenge the European champions, though Antoine Griezmann had a late first-half opportunity after a mistake from Willian Pacho, but his shot was straight at Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Moments later, PSG doubled their lead. Vitinha advanced into the penalty area and coolly finished past Jan Oblak into the bottom corner following a rapid counter-attack.
Trailing by two goals, Atletico Madrid failed to exert pressure on PSG in the second half. Instead, the Parisian side maintained control, dictating play and generating the more threatening opportunities.
Kvaratskhelia came close to scoring himself, with a curling effort that hit the underside of the crossbar after a fingertip save from Oblak. Julián Alvarez had a goal disallowed following a ball recovery high up, due to a foul on Désiré Doué during the buildup.
Atletico Madrid finished the game a man down. A strange moment saw Jan Oblak`s rollout blocked by Senny Mayulu; the ball reached Achraf Hakimi, who hesitated and missed an open goal. The ensuing furious protests, particularly from Clement Lenglet, led to his second yellow card and dismissal.
Shortly after the red card, substitute Alexander Sorloth missed Atletico`s best chance of the match, blasting over from close range at the back post.
Things worsened for the Spanish side. Substitute Senny Mayulu added PSG`s third goal with a powerful finish from a tight angle. In the final moments, Lee Kang-in converted a penalty awarded for a Robin Le Normand handball, securing a dominant 4-0 win for the reigning European champions and confirming their status as major contenders in the tournament.
Player Ratings
PSG Player Ratings
Gianluigi Donnarumma – 5
Nuno Mendes – 7
Willian Pacho – 4
Marquinhos – 6
Achraf Hakimi – 5
Fabián Ruiz – 7
João Neves – 6
Vitinha – 8
The dynamic Portuguese midfielder controlled the midfield, linking play and driving his team forward. He also demonstrated his attacking threat with a brilliant curled finish for the second goal.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – 7
A good performance statistically with two assists, though the goals owed much to the finishers. He was neat and effective, and almost scored himself with a curling shot.
Gonçalo Ramos – 4
Désiré Doué – 4
Not his most effective outing. While showing glimpses of his skill, Doué occasionally lost possession too easily in vulnerable areas. His flair is evident, but needs to be applied at the right times, which wasn`t consistently the case in this match.
Selected Atletico Madrid Player Ratings
Clement Lenglet – 3
Jan Oblak – 5
Giuliano Simeone – 3
