Paris Saint-Germain commenced their FIFA Club World Cup journey in perfect fashion, comfortably dispatching a lacklustre Atletico Madrid side with a dominant 4-0 victory at the Rose Bowl.
The Match
This period of the year is typically reserved for pre-season tours, and the match certainly unfolded at a friendly tempo during the initial half. As is their custom, PSG completely controlled possession, but they didn`t feel the need to significantly increase the pace on a warm afternoon in Los Angeles. They were patient, waiting for their opportunities.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia registered an early attempt in the 17th minute with a well-executed volley on the turn. Just sixty seconds later, Fabián Ruiz opened the scoring with a powerful shot from the edge of the penalty area. Atletico Madrid struggled to pose any real threat to the reigning European champions, though they did manage a half-chance in the dying moments of the first half.
Antoine Griezmann, capitalizing on a poor pass from Willian Pacho, could only strike his effort directly at Gianluigi Donnarumma. Less than a minute later, the ball was in the Atletico Madrid net again as PSG launched a rapid counter-attack. Vitinha received the ball in the final third, calmly advanced into the box, and finished past Jan Oblak into the bottom corner.
Facing a two-goal deficit in the second half, Atletico Madrid never managed to put PSG under significant pressure or create any real doubt. Instead, it was Les Parisiens who continued to dominate possession and generate the more dangerous opportunities.
Kvaratskhelia, who provided the assists for both of PSG`s first-half goals, saw a fierce, curled strike hit the underside of the crossbar, excellently tipped by Oblak`s fingertips. Julián Alvarez did find the back of the net, but the goal, scored after a transition following a high ball recovery by PSG, was disallowed for a foul on Désiré Doué.
Atletico Madrid finished the game with ten men. In an unusual sequence, Oblak`s roll-out was blocked by Senny Mayulu. The ball reached Achraf Hakimi, who hesitated and failed to finish into the empty net. The Spanish side reacted furiously, particularly Clement Lenglet, whose protests earned him a second yellow card and a subsequent red card.
Atletico Madrid`s clearest chance of the entire match came shortly after, but substitute Alexander Sorloth blasted over from only a few yards out at the back post, with the whole goal unguarded. Things deteriorated further for the Spanish team before the final whistle.
A somewhat messy passage of play was finished emphatically by substitute Senny Mayulu, who struck home on the half-turn. In the final seconds, Lee Kang-in added a fourth from the penalty spot after Robin Le Normand was penalised for handball. It was a commanding performance from the reigning European champions, reinforcing their status as strong contenders to win this inaugural tournament held in the USA.
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
Much like his performance in the Champions League final, the dynamic Portuguese midfielder dictated the game from deep, expertly linking play and progressing the team up the field. However, he also possesses the ability to make a decisive impact in the final third, as demonstrated by his brilliant curled finish into the bottom corner.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – 7
Statistically, it was a productive night for the Georgian, who registered two assists. However, both goals were arguably more about the quality of the finish that followed. He was tidy and incisive when necessary and was unfortunate not to score himself with a curled effort from the edge of the box which hit the bar.
Gonçalo Ramos – 4
Désiré Doué – 4
Not Doué’s most effective outing. There were flashes of his undoubted talent, as is typical, but he was also prone to losing possession too easily and in potentially dangerous areas. On one occasion, attempting an overly intricate move in the Atletico half, he left his side exposed to a counter-attack, requiring Marquinhos to commit a clear foul before visibly showing frustration with Doué. While his tricks and flicks often succeed, they need to be deployed at the right moments, which wasn`t consistently the case against Atletico Madrid.
Selected Atletico Madrid Player Ratings
Clement Lenglet – 3
Jan Oblak – 5
Giuliano Simeone – 3
