Club World Cup: PSG dismantle ten-man Atlético
In their opening match of the FIFA Club World Cup, Paris Saint-Germain turned in a determined display against Atlético Madrid in a 4-0 win. Read our match report:
No Dembélé, no problem
In their maiden participation in FIFA's flagship competition, fresh off an impressive victory in the UEFA Champions League final, Paris Saint-Germain were eager to get off on the right foot. Despite the absence of Ousmane Dembélé, the Ligue 1 McDonald's player of the season, Luis Enrique's side had no issues dispatching Los Colchoneros, who finished with ten men. With Gonçalo Ramos in the XI in place of Dembélé, PSG started the match somewhat cautiously, and were happy to have seen a free kick from Julian Álvarez flash wide with just three minutes on the clock.
After surviving that initial scare, PSG put their noses to the grindstone, and on 19 minutes, Désiré Doué broke forward and laid the ball off for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who cut the ball across goal to Fabián Ruíz, who slotted in a fine effort from the edge of the area, giving his side the lead. From there, PSG continued to control possession, and their dominance would eventually tell in added time, with Vitinha scoring a fine effort past Jan Oblak from the edge of the area for a 2-0 lead at the interval.
FIFA Club World Cup debut. Two assists. 🅰️🅰️
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. 🇬🇪💫 pic.twitter.com/KOvvIS2egf— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) June 15, 2025
PSG seal a deserved win
In the second half, Atlético made changes at halftime, and even thought that they'd brought themselves back into the tie just after the hour, but Álvarez's goal was ruled out for a foul by Koke in the build-up. After a flurry of yellow cards, a second was given to Clément Lenglet, and the former Nancy defender was given his marching orders. Moments later, Alexander Sørloth spurned a golden opportunity on the break, and from then on it was all PSG.
After a poor clearance with three minutes left, substitute Senny Mayulu pounced on a loose ball to add another goal to PSG's tally. Then, in added time, a handball in the box gave PSG a penalty, and Lee Kang-In duly converted to seal the final margin. This win, recorded in front of a supportive crowd at the Rose Bowl, was remarked upon by Luis Enrique: "It's a very positive thing to have that feeling, to feel the support of the fans. We have to keep going. We have to improve and keep this momentum going. It's a different competition, but a very attractive one." PSG will next be in action against Botafogo on Thursday at the same venue.
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