Paris St-Germain kicked off their first-ever Fifa Club World Cup campaign in style, securing a convincing victory against Atletico Madrid in front of a crowd of 80,619 at the iconic Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
The European champions dominated the game from the start, with an impressive 82.6% possession in the first fifteen minutes. Their early dominance paid off when Fabian Ruiz found the back of the net with a well-placed low shot from the edge of the penalty area.
Atletico Madrid struggled to contain PSG’s attacking prowess, with Portuguese striker Goncalo Ramos missing several scoring opportunities. Vitinha further extended Paris St-Germain’s lead just before halftime, slipping past Atletico’s defense to score a crucial goal.
Despite Jan Oblak’s heroic efforts in goal, Atletico Madrid found themselves unable to break through PSG’s defense. Oblak’s acrobatic save to deny Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s bending strike showcased his exceptional goalkeeping skills.
The game took a dramatic turn in the second half when Atletico Madrid’s Clement Lenglet received a second yellow card for dissent, reducing his team to 10 men. PSG capitalized on their numerical advantage, with substitute Senny Mayulu scoring a goal in the 87th minute.
In a flurry of late-game action, PSG’s Ibrahim Mbaye hit the post, Atletico’s Robin le Normand was penalized for a handball following a VAR review, and Lee Kang-in converted a penalty kick to seal a 4-0 victory for Paris St-Germain.
