Newly crowned European champions Paris Saint-Germain kicked off their Club World Cup campaign in dominant fashion on Sunday, dismantling Atletico Madrid 4–0 in a scorching Group B clash at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
First-half goals from Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha set the tone before late strikes by Senny Mayulu and Lee Kang-In sealed an emphatic win in front of a crowd of 80,619 fans.
Still riding high from their 5–0 demolition of Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League final two weeks earlier, PSG continued their blistering form with slick, high-tempo football that left Atletico chasing shadows.
PSG took early control of the match, testing Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak twice in quick succession — first through Goncalo Ramos, then via a low drive from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The pressure eventually paid off in the 19th minute.
Kvaratskhelia, dangerous down the flank all evening, set up Ruiz with a clever lay-off following a smooth build-up down the right. The Spanish midfielder made no mistake, guiding a composed finish into the bottom corner to open the scoring.
Atletico’s frustrations began to boil over as they struggled to get a foothold. Defender Clement Lenglet was booked for a rash tackle on Achraf Hakimi, while Robin Le Normand and Giuliano Simeone followed into the referee’s book as tempers frayed.
PSG doubled their lead just before halftime. A quick counter-attack saw Kvaratskhelia once again at the heart of the move, slipping the ball to Vitinha, who coolly slotted past Oblak to make it 2–0.
– Atletico struggles continue –
Atletico briefly thought they had pulled one back early in the second half when Julian Alvarez fired home — but the goal was ruled out by VAR for a foul by Rodrigo De Paul on PSG’s Désiré Doué in the buildup.
Although Atletico showed more urgency after the break, they failed to register another shot on target. Their hopes were all but extinguished when Lenglet was sent off in the 78th minute for a second yellow card.
A glaring miss from substitute Alexander Sørloth in the 82nd minute summed up Atleti’s night — the Norwegian somehow blasted over an open goal from point-blank range following a fine cross by Marcos Llorente.
PSG capitalized immediately. Mayulu pounced on a defensive lapse to make it 3–0 in the 87th minute, and Lee Kang-In completed the rout in stoppage time from the penalty spot after Le Normand was penalized for handball.
PSG, now top of Group B, will next face Brazilian side Botafogo in Pasadena on Thursday before finishing the group stage against MLS outfit Seattle Sounders on June 23.
AFP
