Newly crowned European champions Paris Saint-Germain launched their Club World Cup campaign in emphatic fashion on Sunday, sweeping aside Atletico Madrid 4-0 in sweltering conditions at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
First-half goals from Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha set the tone before late strikes by Senny Mayulu and Lee Kang-In sealed a dominant victory for the French giants in their opening Group B fixture.
Watched by a crowd of 80,619 and playing under fierce midday sun, with temperatures soaring to 31°C, Luis Enrique’s side were in control from the outset, showcasing the kind of fluid, incisive football that saw them crush Inter Milan 5-0 in the Champions League final just a fortnight ago.
“We did very, very well in difficult conditions,” said Portuguese midfielder Vitinha. “It was a good victory to start the competition.”
Enrique admitted the heat had affected the tempo of the game, but praised his side’s professionalism. “The rhythm of our play was a bit lower than usual, but we were better. We trained at such a high level; this team loves to compete and we are ready to go as far as possible,” he said.
Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone refused to blame the conditions, conceding that his side were simply outplayed.
“I cannot blame it on the heat — we both played in the same weather conditions,” said the Argentine coach. “They played much better than we did. They have amazing players and that’s why they’ve just won everything.”
PSG took the lead in the 19th minute following a slick move down the right, culminating in Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia laying the ball off for Ruiz, who slotted home with precision.
Atletico were visibly frustrated and picked up a flurry of yellow cards before half-time. Clement Lenglet and Robin Le Normand were both cautioned for rash fouls, while Giuliano Simeone and Ruiz also found their names in the referee’s book.
The Spanish side managed their first meaningful shot just before the break, Antoine Griezmann forcing Gianluigi Donnarumma into a smart save. But PSG immediately punished them on the counter — Kvaratskhelia once again at the heart of it, setting up Vitinha to double the lead with a composed finish.
Atletico briefly thought they had halved the deficit early in the second half through Julian Alvarez, only for VAR to intervene and disallow the goal due to a foul by Rodrigo De Paul in the build-up.
Although Atletico showed more urgency thereafter, they failed to register another shot on target. Their misery deepened when Lenglet was sent off in the 78th minute for a second bookable offence.
Substitute Alexander Sorloth then squandered a golden opportunity, firing over an open goal from close range — a miss that proved costly as PSG responded ruthlessly.
Mayulu capitalised on a defensive lapse to score in the 87th minute, before Lee Kang-In added a fourth from the penalty spot deep into stoppage time after Le Normand handled in the box.
PSG next face Brazil’s Botafogo in Pasadena on Thursday, before wrapping up the group stage against MLS side Seattle Sounders on 23 June.