PSG dismantle Atletico Madrid 4-0 in impressive Club World Cup opener | Football News
Champions League winners PSG beat fellow European heavyweights Atletico Madrid at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, the US.
Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain opened their Club World Cup campaign with an impressive 4-0 victory over Atletico Madrid, underlining to their rivals that they will likely be the team to beat in this tournament.
PSG largely dominated Atletico at the Rose Bowl on Sunday in their first match since trouncing Inter Milan 5-0 to win its first Champions League title on May 31.
Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha scored in the first half, while Senny Mayulu and Lee Kang-in scored against 10-man Atletico in the second half of their Group B clash.
The European giants met at the venue of the 1994 World Cup final for one of the highest-profile matches in the group stage of the first 32-team edition of the Club World Cup.
Ousmane Dembele did not feature for PSG after reportedly injuring a quadricep while playing for France on June 6. Goncalo Ramos replaced Dembele in Luis Enrique’s only change to the starting lineup from the Champions League final.
Enrique wore shorts and a training shirt on the sideline while coaching PSG in 31 Celsius (88 Fahrenheit) midday California heat.
PSG controlled possession early, and Ruiz capitalised from just outside the penalty area in the 19th minute. The Spanish midfielder long coveted by Atletico beat Jan Oblak with a clever strike into the far corner.
Atletico got a golden chance to tie it in first-half injury time, but Gianluigi Donnarumma swallowed up Antoine Griezmann’s chance in the box.
Moments later, Vitinha slipped through the Atletico defence and scored on the break.
Julian Alvarez appeared to pull one back for Atletico in the second half, but his goal was chalked off after VAR determined Koke had fouled Desire Doue in the build-up.
Atletico’s Clement Lenglet was sent off in the 78th minute with his second yellow card on a frustrating day that left coach Diego Simeone visibly furious at both the referees and his players’ mistakes.
Alexander Sorloth somehow missed an open net in the 82nd minute for Atletico in a move that made Simeone fall to his knees in disbelief.
Mayulu secured PSG’s victory five minutes later, and Lee converted a penalty with the final kick of the match from the spot after a handball by Robin Le Normand in the box.
Man of the match Vitinha told DAZN it was a “very good performance” by his side.
“We did a very good game, it is difficult with this temperature. We did well against a tough team, we controlled all of the game. We are happy with the result,” he said.
“The toughest thing to do in football is to maintain the level, and that is what I try to do.”
PSG coach Enrique also hailed his side’s performance.
“I think every single player showed their best quality to the team,” he told DAZN.
“As a coach, I am happy. Really great to feel that love [from the stadium]. We are happy and want to continue with our ways.”
In Sunday’s earlier game, Bayern Munich romped to a 10-0 victory over Auckland City as Jamal Musiala had a hat-trick in a 17-minute span of the second half in front of a crowd that unfurled a banner urging to “Smash FIFA!” while accusing the governing body of mismanagement.
Thomas Muller, Kingsley Coman and Michael Olise scored two goals each for the Bundesliga champions, who went ahead on Coman’s goal six minutes in. Bayern had a 17-1 advantage in shots on target.
Musiala, a 22-year-old midfielder, replaced Harry Kane in the 61st minute, making his first appearance since April 4 after recovering from a hamstring injury. He scored in the 67th minute, converted a penalty kick in the 73rd and scored again in the 84th.
Before a crowd of 21,152 at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, fans displayed a red-and-white banner referring to the 2015 raid by US law enforcement at a Zurich hotel that led to the arrest of many football officials over corruption allegations: “10 Years Baur Au Lac – World Football Is More Poorly Governed than Before! Smash FIFA!”
