Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid will go head-to-head in a blockbuster Club World Cup semi-final on Wednesday night, as two of Europe’s biggest sides battle for a place in the final in New Jersey.
Both clubs come into the tie having seen off Bundesliga opposition in the quarter-finals, setting up a mouth-watering encounter between the winners of the last two UEFA Champions League titles. The victors will go on to face either Chelsea or Fluminense in Sunday’s final.
PSG firing on all cylinders
After a shaky group-stage defeat to Botafogo, PSG have found their rhythm and surged into the semis with three straight wins – all with clean sheets. Their latest triumph came against Bayern Munich, where they ran out 2-0 winners despite finishing the match with nine men.
Luis Enrique’s side look relentless going forward, having already netted 164 goals across all competitions this season. The French champions thumped Atletico Madrid 4-0 in their opening match of the tournament and dispatched Inter Milan 5-0 in the Champions League final earlier this year.
Now, Enrique is eyeing his second Club World Cup title – a decade after winning it with Barcelona in 2015 – and PSG are being widely tipped to go all the way.
However, Real Madrid stand in their way, and they’ve been something of a bogey team for the Parisians in recent European clashes – most notably in 2022 when the Spaniards came from 2-0 down on aggregate to knock them out of the Champions League.
Real on the rise under Alonso
It’s a new era at Real Madrid under Xabi Alonso, who replaced Carlo Ancelotti earlier this summer. The transition has been smooth so far, with Los Blancos still unbeaten in the competition.
Despite a frustrating draw with Al Hilal on matchday one, Madrid topped their group with wins over Pachuca and Red Bull Salzburg, before seeing off Juventus and Borussia Dortmund in the knockouts.
Their quarter-final win over Dortmund nearly unravelled late on, with a red card to Dean Huijsen and a missed chance by Marcel Sabitzer threatening to take the match to extra time. But a clutch save from Thibaut Courtois saw Real through with a 3-2 win.
Now, they must navigate an even sterner test against a high-flying PSG side full of firepower.
Team news
PSG will be without both Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernandez after red cards in the win over Bayern. Lucas Beraldo is expected to fill in at centre-back, while Ousmane Dembele remains a doubt, having only made cameo appearances since recovering from injury.
Achraf Hakimi, formerly of Real Madrid, has been a key figure for PSG in the tournament, contributing in each of his last three appearances.
Real Madrid also have a suspension at the back, with Huijsen missing out after his dismissal in the quarter-final. Raul Asencio could be recalled to partner Antonio Rudiger, while Eder Militao is fit again following an ACL injury.
All eyes will be on emerging star Gonzalo Garcia, who has scored four goals so far at this Club World Cup. Kylian Mbappe, Rodrygo and Brahim Diaz are all expected to feature prominently for Alonso’s side.
This has all the makings of a classic. Real Madrid remain a dangerous opponent with plenty of talent in the squad, but PSG’s form, firepower, and greater cohesion may give them the edge. With goals likely at both ends, expect a tight contest, but the French champions could just come out on top.