PSG thrash Real Madrid 4-0 to set up Club World Cup final with Chelsea
Ruiz and Ousmane Dembele scored inside nine minutes to stun Real and silence the majority of the 77,542 crowd who were wearing white at the MetLife Stadium outside New York.
The Spanish midfielder added another before half-time and Goncalo Ramos got a late fourth as Luis Enrique's side moved one game away from glory at FIFA's new tournament.
Victory against Chelsea on Sunday would complete a campaign of unparalleled success for the Parisians, who won the French title and then the first UEFA Champions League in their history in May.
'We are in a special season, a special moment, and we deserved to win,' Luis Enrique told broadcaster DAZN before looking ahead to the final.
'We are going to try, one more step against a good team like Chelsea. They did great, they performed the whole competition and now it is time for us to prepare for that... we want to make history in our club, and then take some holidays.'
After blowing away Inter Milan 5-0, the biggest victory in European Cup final history, PSG began their Club World Cup bid by putting four past Atletico Madrid and the ease with which they disposed of Real was striking.
PSG's fluidity contrasted starkly with Madrid, who are a work in progress under new coach Xabi Alonso.
'We were not good enough today,' said Alonso. 'We are not the first ones to lose to them but we have a lot of different things to improve.'
Mbappe struggled to make any impact on his first start at the tournament and in his first game against PSG since leaving the French club last year.
The defeat is a real blow to Real as they hoped to win the first 32-team Club World Cup to add to their record tally of 15 European Cups.
PSG were without imposing centre-back Willian Pacho due to suspension following his sending-off against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals, but that did not matter.
Lucas Beraldo slotted into the defence with ease, and the rest of PSG's first-choice line-up was there.
Day to forget for Mbappe
Real were missing central defender Dean Huijsen through suspension, while the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold was an added blow.
The return to the starting XI of Mbappe, who missed the entire group stage through illness, did not prevent young striker Gonzalo Garcia from keeping his place.
But the Spanish giants' front line, completed by Vinicius Junior, made no real impact, such was the extent of PSG's domination.
Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made two superb saves inside the opening five minutes, the first to tip away a Ruiz shot, and the second to deny Nuno Mendes from point-blank range.
Yet Courtois could not prevent Paris from scoring in the sixth minute, as Dembele pounced on slack defending by Raul Asencio. The Real 'keeper saved at the forward's feet but Ruiz converted the loose ball.
Three minutes later and the contest was effectively over when Antonio Rudiger failed to control a simple pass from Jude Bellingham, allowing Dembele to run through before finishing low into the corner.
Like his friend Mbappe, Dembele was starting for the first time at the competition having been injured. That was a 35th club goal since August for a player who is a serious candidate for the Ballon d'Or.
It was turning into a humiliating afternoon for Real as PSG got their third midway through the first half.
A deflected shot by Mbappe was easily held by Gianluigi Donnarumma, and no Madrid player touched the ball again before they were picking it out of their net a minute later.
Dembele released Achraf Hakimi on the right and he squared for Ruiz, the Spain star taking a touch to hold off Fede Valverde before finishing.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia could have got a fourth before the interval, while Desire Doue had a goal disallowed early in the second half.
But Real were not coming back, and Alonso opted to take off Bellingham and Vinicius just after the hour mark in a clear sign of surrender.
PSG then got their fourth after 87 minutes when Ramos controlled a pass from fellow substitute Bradley Barcola, turned and fired in. — AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Chelsea's ice man Palmer puts the chill on PSG in Club World Cup final
EAST RUTHERFORD: "Ice-Cole" Palmer lived up to his nickname in a scorching Club World Cup final on Sunday, scoring twice in Chelsea's 3-0 win over Paris St Germain on another broiling day at MetLife Stadium. Temperatures soared above 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29.4°C) in East Rutherford, New Jersey, but the Chelsea talisman had ice in his veins as he bagged two goals in eight minutes in the first half. He earned the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament. The man of the match in their 4-1 Conference League final win over Real Betis in May, Palmer showed again that he does his best work under the biggest spotlight, as he also recorded an assist for Joao Pedro in the 43rd minute. "I like finals. It's happened again," he told DAZN. "It's a great feeling," he added. "Even better because everyone doubted us before the game, we knew that. To put a fight on like we did, it's good." A product of the Manchester City academy, Palmer made his senior debut with the team in September 2020 but never received the minutes on the pitch he believed he deserved, going to Chelsea three years later with the promise of more playing time. He wasted no time becoming Chelsea's new hero, firing in goals in his first season with the club, and Sunday's final marked another chapter in his success story, with Man City long ago eliminated from the tournament in the round of 16. He destroyed PSG's defence in a sensational first half on Sunday, running up and down the right channel before slotting in a tidy left-footed goal in 22nd minute. He doubled the score eight minutes later, again targeting the bottom-left corner of the goal as the legions of blue-clad Chelsea fans erupted in elation. European and French champions PSG were coming off an extraordinary season but appeared overwhelmed yet again as Palmer set up Pedro with a neat flick with two minutes left in the first half. "Today we found a position for him where there was more space to attack," said Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca. "Obviously Cole played really well but the effort from all the players was fantastic." - Reuters
Malay Mail
4 hours ago
- Malay Mail
England and France march into Euro 2025 quarter-finals with big wins over Wales, Netherlands
BERN, July 14 — Holders England reached the quarter-finals of Women's Euro 2025 yesterday after thrashing Wales 6-1 and taking second place in Group D behind France, who won 5-2 in a thrilling match with the Netherlands. Georgia Stanway started England on their way from the penalty spot in the 13th minute and further goals from Ella Toone, Lauren Hemp, Alessia Russo, Beth Mead and Aggie Beever-Jones made sure of passage to the last eight. England will face Sweden in Zurich on Thursday, a repeat of the semi-final at the last Euros three years ago which the Lionesses won 4-0. But the Swedes look a tough proposition after topping Group C with a perfect nine points and swatting aside Germany on Saturday. 'We just wanted to be confident and enjoy it and I think we obviously play better football when we do that. I think there was more flow to the game tonight, there was better connections,' said midfielder Keira Walsh. '(Sweden are) going to be a really tough opposition but we're just going to keep trying to focus on what we're doing, keep being confident, playing good football.' France meanwhile will take on Germany in Basel in the last quarter-final on Saturday, and are on the same side of the knockout draw as world champions Spain who face hosts Switzerland on Friday. The French finished the group stage three points ahead of England after making it three wins from three thanks to Delphine Cascarino's decisive double. San Diego Wave forward Cascarino has been excellent in Switzerland, and she made sure that France would top the group with the key goals in a superb comeback from a goal down. France, who opened the scoring through Sandie Toletti in the 22nd minute, trailed at the break to a Victoria Pelova strike and Selma Bacha's clumsy own goal. Cascarino stars But Marie-Antoinette Katoto levelled for France just after the hour and the match was done six minutes later thanks to Cascarino's fine finishes. First Cascarino lashed France back ahead with a sumptuous, dipping long-range strike, before rolling in the fourth after Sandy Baltimore watched her shot ricochet off both posts. Sakina Karchaoui completed the scoring from the penalty spot in stoppage time. 'I'm having a good Euros, and it's a real pleasure to play in a major tournament. I'm pleased and I hope that we can go a long way,' Cascarino told reporters. In St Gallen, England knew a win would be enough to seal a spot in the next round regardless of what happened in Basel, and once Stanway slotted home her penalty after being brought down by Carrie Jones there was no way back for Wales. Eight minutes later Toone doubled England's lead after Wales failed to clear and the Manchester United forward tapped home after her initial effort was blocked on the line by Lily Woodham. Toone then turned provider on the half-hour with a perfect searching cross for Hemp, before Russo rolled home from close range just before half-time to get off the mark for the tournament. Mead drilled home England's fifth in the 72nd minute, but Hannah Cain gave Wales fans something to cheer about by lashing a fine consolation goal past Hannah Hampton. And Beever-Jones completed the rout one minute from the end to send England through on a high. — AFP
Malay Mail
4 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Trump booed and cheered as he joins Chelsea's Club World Cup celebrations in New Jersey
NEW JERSEY, July 14 — Donald Trump experienced the agony and the ecstasy of football on yesterday as he was booed at the final of the FIFA Club World Cup—even as he joined in some high-spirited celebrations with champions Chelsea. The US president was front and center as the winners took to the stage, grinning broadly in his red tie and clapping and jumping with the players as the jubilant Blues lifted the gleaming trophy, which he had presented to captain Reece James. But moments earlier, loud booing could be heard among cheers and applause as Trump walked onto the pitch for the presentation with FIFA president Gianni Infantino—before the music in the stadium was turned up. Earlier, the Republican billionaire was also applauded as he and First Lady Melania Trump arrived for the match at the MetLife stadium in New Jersey, just outside New York City. But when a jumbotron screen briefly showed Trump saluting to the US national anthem, yet more boos could be heard in the giant stadium, before the camera quickly cut away. The scorn did little to dampen the president's spirits as he handed out trophies to the star players including the Golden Ball for best player to Cole Palmer, followed by handshakes and medals to the defeated Paris Saint-Germain. He later called the crowd 'tremendous.' 'We had a great time,' he told reporters as he landed at Joint Base Andrews outside the US capital Washington after the match. The Republican's appearance at the game also came on the first anniversary of the assassination attempt that he survived at an election rally in Pennsylvania. Trump has made no secret of his desire to use this year's club championship and next year's 2026 World Cup as symbols of the 'Golden Age of America' during his second term in the White House. Next year's World Cup, the final of which will be held at the same stadium, will coincide with the 250th anniversary of America's independence. Trump has even set up a White House task force to ensure next year's championship—hosted jointly with Canada and Mexico—goes smoothly. 'He loves it' Trump has fostered a close relationship with Infantino, who has been a frequent visitor to the White House. The president has kept the Club World Cup trophy next to his desk in the Oval Office since the FIFA president dropped by in March. Infantino, who is no stranger to dealing with hard-nosed world leaders including Russia's Vladimir Putin ahead of the 2018 World Cup, thanked Trump for his support on Saturday. He said Trump had 'embraced immediately the importance of the FIFA Club World Cup, and of course of the World Cup next year.' Infantino also joked that Trump 'certainly loves as well the trophy'—whose gold-plated curves match the gilded makeover that the president has given the Oval Office. But Trump's fondness of football, or soccer as he would say, is also personal. The president's 19-year-old son Barron is a fan, as Infantino pointed out in a press conference at FIFA's new office in Trump Tower in New York on Saturday. Asked if Trump liked the game, Infantino replied: 'Well I think he does. In his first term as president of the United States, there was a soccer goal in the garden of the White House. 'He then explained to me that his son loved football, and that he loved the game. And of course when you are a parent, you love what your children love, so I think that he loves it.' As a boarding school student at the New York Military Academy, Trump himself also reportedly played the game for a season. 'Go home' But in typical form, Trump has also mixed political controversy with his football fandom. Hosting Italian side Juventus in the Oval Office in June, he delivered a diatribe on transgender people in sports before asking the players: 'Could a woman make your team, fellas?' Most of the players looked bemused before Juventus general manager Damien Comolli replied: 'We have a very good women's team.' 'He's being very diplomatic,' said Trump. Trump's hardline immigration crackdown—part of his 'America First' policy—has meanwhile sparked fears that football fans will be discouraged from coming to the United States for the 2026 World Cup. In May, Vice President JD Vance said that fans would be 'welcome to come... but when the time is up, they will have to go home.' — AFP
