No Mercy: PSG Leave Real Madrid Scoreless
Real Madrid faced off against PSG in the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup, and Los Blancos were denied admission into the final. Both teams came into the game with the stakes of a chance at a trophy, and PSG will move on to face Chelsea on July 13th at 3:00 p.m. EST at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Regardless of the sweltering humidity, the players fought to keep the match alive. Strong from the start, PSG dominated the match and finished it with ease.
The first half began a bit delayed, with all of the pre-game antics taking longer than expected. The match was intense from kick-off, which later resulted in an early lead for PSG when they scored the opening goal in the sixth minute. Fabián Ruiz had an open goal shot when Thibaut Courtois was missing from the net after running out to block Ousmane Dembélé’s attempt moments earlier. PSG’s celebrations erupted once again when Dembélé made the game 2-0 just three minutes after the first goal. Courtois was throwing his hands up in frustration with the defense, which seemed to be a consistent issue for this Real Madrid team.
Xabi Alonso has been working with Real Madrid since before the tournament commenced, and it is clear that there is still some figuring out to do in terms of playmaking and defense. As a coach who did such wonders for his last team, it feels as if greatness is going to come for Los Blancos, any minute now. They have had a difficult time patching the holes that the injuries of vital defensive players tore through the season, and although in a better state than before, there are still evident gaps in the backline. It’s not certain, but it seems there is a disconnect with the style of defense since the players appear not to know when to pull back or who to mark in such a case.
Ruiz solidified the lead in the 24th minute and scored his second goal of the night, assisted by Achraf Hakimi. The first 25 minutes of the match showcased how this PSG team was able to win the Champions League effortlessly and beat Bayern Munich despite being down to nine men in the quarter-final. They can find holes in opponents' defenses and take complete advantage of them. In this match, they heavily relied on the Real Madrid defense's lack of ability to recover from a stolen ball, quick break, or counterattack. Los Blancos did attempt their best to bite back with Vinicus Junior and Kylian Mbappe taking control of the offense, but to no avail. PSG didn’t just dominate the score, but also in possession of the ball; it seemed as if the entire game was played at their feet.
Only two minutes into the second half, PSG was able to almost extend their lead to four, but to Real Madrid’s delight, it was offside. These constant free chances at the back of their net caused immense pressure on the attacking players of Los Blancos, and their shots became a bit messy. Luka Modric was placed into the match 60 minutes in to correct the misconnection between the midfield and attack in an attempt to save Los Blancos once more before leaving the club. Unfortunately, Modric did not have a magical exit, and Goncalo Ramos scored the fourth goal for PSG in the 87th minute. Ramos dedicated his goal to the late Diogo Jota by doing his celebration and pointing up to the sky.
Paris Saint-Germain took complete control of the match down to the last minute and gave a fighting Real Madrid team no chance at a comeback, leaving them at nil. It was obvious this season that PSG were able to dominate every competition under the radar until it mattered most. They have continued to have high-scoring games, specifically in finals, which showcase their immense skill in taking advantage of opponents' defenses. After their 4-0 win today, they move on to the final in four days and attempt to add more trophies to their surplus of hardware this season.
