The perfect storm has arrived with the usual hero
The format has changed, the number of teams has increased, but Europe is still close to dominating the world. While Fluminense were still in the competition and promised to interfere in yet another duel between South America and Europe, a UEFA team was already guaranteed to be in the decisive match of this Club World Cup. After all, this Saturday would be marked by two big clashes between teams fighting for the Champions League. Opening the hostilities, European champions PSG met Bayern Munich, in a duel between European giants. Interestingly, the Parisians and Bavarians had already faced each other in 2024/25, with the Germans getting the better of the French (1-0), in the league phase of the Champions League, in a game in which Ousmane Dembélé was sent off and Kim Min-jae scored. Now, the odds were different.
All eyes on Atlanta. ????????? #FIFACWC pic.twitter.com/EzrrFUSdoD
— FIFA Club World Cup (@FIFACWC) July 5, 2025
“It was a difficult week because it was very long, with six days between games. It’s a long time until the end of the season. We had a very good week of training, we did our job. I think the team is ready. It will be difficult against a very good team in the competition and a very good team in Europe. We’ve already played Bayern. We know the team. It will be an open game, with two attacking teams. I’m sure the fans will like it. We want to keep competing. That’s our goal. In any case, it’s a very positive moment. Diogo Jota? This is probably the worst news we could have received. The world of football is in shock. It’s tragic. It’s very difficult for everyone, especially for the Portuguese. It’s difficult, we have to accept it, but it’s very difficult,” shared Luis Enrique in the preview of the match.
“Bayern won’t always have possession. It will be a game of principles. There’s a team that will play with a deep defence and a team that will play with a lot of pressure. That’s fundamentally exciting. And both teams don’t put much emphasis on possession, but on winning the ball. It’s a similarity. It’s the perfect storm that we’re expecting tomorrow [Saturday]. These games are always interesting and exciting, so I would pay to see the game. It’s a fantastic challenge for us. They won the Cup and the Championship in France and the Champions League. We have the chance to beat them tomorrow. It’s great to be able to play against them. I don’t look at numbers and statistics. I understand how everything can be seen, but first we have to do the job. We can talk about favourites but ultimately it’s a team that will be the winners in the end. We have to do everything in our power to win,” said Vincent Kompany.
Club World Cup: Paris SG v FC Bayern
Official line-ups! pic.twitter.com/EoUe3H2ZnL
— Transfer Diary (@DTransferencias) July 5, 2025
At the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Dembélé once again started on the bench, with Luis Enrique repeating the starting eleven that beat Inter Miami, with Nuno Mendes, Vitinha and João Neves starting, and Gonçalo Ramos on the bench. In the Germans, Vincent Kompany once again had Kingsley Coman, who had suffered a muscle injury against Flamengo, and made two changes to his team, reinforcing the midfield. Thus, Aleksandar Pavlovic and Jamal Musial were options over Leon Goretzka and Sèrge Gnabry.
After a minute's silence in memory of André and Diogo — which brought Mendes to tears —, the Parisians started the match strongly and, just a few minutes into the game, Désiré Doué found space at the edge of the area to shoot just wide of Manuel Neuer's goal (3′). In response, Michael Olise tried a clever shot from just outside the opposition area, but Gigi Donnarumma saved it (6′). Shortly after, Doué found Achraf Hakimi with a great pass, the Moroccan crossed low to the far post and, from a tight angle, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia shot wide (19′). The next time, Fabián Ruiz shot over (22′). The goalkeepers then came into action, with the Italian making a great save to stop a powerful shot from Michael Olise (27') and the German denying the Georgian a goal with a save with his left hand (32').
After the water break, Sacha Boey came on to replace the injured Josip Stanisic and, in another dangerous opportunity, Harry Kane headed over (38'). Towards the end of the first half, Pavlovic crossed from the left into the box, Jamal Musiala just missed the ball, but he fooled Donnarumma and the Italian had to make an effort (41'). In compensation, Dayot Upamecano still scored, but he was offside and the goal was disallowed (45+2'). The first half ended goalless and in a move in which Musiala suffered a serious injury to his left foot, after getting tangled up in a dispute with the Italian goalkeeper.
PSG trained the offside well ???? @FIFACWC | 14 June – 13 July | Watch all the games for free at https://t.co/fpfuiyzIoG | #FIFACWC #TakeItToTheWorld
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With Sèrge Gnabry on the pitch, the second half began with another great intervention by Neuer, who prevented Bradley Barcola from scoring, who had come through alone (49′). From then on, the game became unpredictable, with both teams betting on quick attacks. In a move that was more German in the ascendancy, Olise shot hard into Donnarumma's hands (61′) and missed the target in a privileged position (65′). With Dembélé on the pitch, Neuer made a move and threw the ball at Kvaratskhelia's body, the ball falling to the Frenchman who, with an open goal, shot wide (74′). Shortly afterwards, in an impeccable play by João Neves, who recovered, drove, unbalanced and assisted, Doué received the ball at the edge of the area and fired a low shot for the opening goal (78′). Immediately after the goal, Willian Pacho made an untimely challenge on Goretzka, was sent off and left the French with one less player (82').
DOU-É and João Neves???? @FIFACWC | 14 June – 13 July | Watch all the free games at https://t.co/fpfuiyAgee | #FIFACWC #TakeItToTheWorld
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In the closing stages of the match, Kane once again put the ball into the back of Donnarumma's net but, like the other move, he had started from an offside position, in another move that was well worked by the PSG defence (88'). Shortly afterwards, it was Raphaël Guerreiro's turn to come off the bench and, in compensation, take an elbow from Lucas Hernández, in a move that forced Anthony Taylor to resort to a red card again (90+2'). Playing with nine men, the rouge et bleu were once again fortunate, in a move in which, initially, Dembélé hit the crossbar, but, then, Hakimi beat three players and passed short for the Frenchman to shoot (90+6'). After the hour mark, Bayern were awarded a penalty, for a foul by Nuno Mendes on Kane, but the move was eventually overturned (2-0).
The pearlWITH 9: WHAT GAME IS THIS?! ???? DEMBÉLÉ @FIFACWC | @PSG_inside 2×0 @FCBayern @FIFACWC | 14 June – 13 July | Watch all the games for free at https://t.co/fpfuiyzIoG | #FIFACWC #TakeItToTheWorld
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- What a performance from Gigi Donnarumma ! The Italian seems to have been born for these games. After playing a key role in winning the 2021 European Championship and repeating his dominance in this year's Champions League, the goalkeeper is one of PSG's standout performers in this Club World Cup. Against Bayern, he made five great saves, three of them inside the box, and was instrumental in keeping the score at 0-0 before Doué scored.
- After returning from injury in the last match, Ousmane Dembélé continues to seek his place in the starting eleven… with goals. The French international played only 20 minutes, but came off the bench to seal the victory for Paris, at a time when his team was two players short. The celebration, in tribute to Diogo Jota, will go down in history.
The sentenceDembele with the Jota celebration ❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/mcaGvEpuWn
— fan account (@Asensii20) July 5, 2025
- All things considered, three of the four semi-finalists of this World Cup have been decided, and now, following Fluminense and Chelsea, we have PSG. The European champions remain the favourites to win the trophy and want to end a dream season with another triumph. Next up are Real Madrid or Borussia Dortmund. Conversely, Bayern Munich will be eliminated in the quarter-finals, after being eliminated at the same stage of the continental competition, against Inter Milan.
- There was no worse way to end an emotional, balanced first half with chances at both ends. Jamal Musiala 's injury was, without a doubt, the negative point of this match between PSG and Bayern Munich. It was the last minute of injury time when, in a dispute with Donnarumma, the German international got his left foot stuck and ended up suffering a seemingly serious sprain. At a time when he was returning from injury and trying to find his best form, Musiala is once again dealing with a physical problem...
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