As the quarter-finals of the revamped FIFA Club World Cup approach, all eyes are on Saturday’s blockbuster clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich—a match that many believe could decide the eventual champions.
While Real Madrid can never be discounted, the Spanish side remains a work in progress under new manager Xabi Alonso, who will lead them against Borussia Dortmund in New Jersey on the same day.
Fresh off their UEFA Champions League triumph in Munich in May, PSG have looked composed throughout the tournament. Luis Enrique’s men cruised into the quarter-finals, despite an unexpected group-stage stumble against Brazil’s Botafogo.
Bayern, meanwhile, finished second in their group behind Benfica but made a statement with a commanding 4-2 win over Flamengo in the round of 16, with Harry Kane netting twice. Vincent Kompany’s side has scored 16 goals in four games and is eager to prove themselves after falling short in Europe—eliminated by Inter Milan in the Champions League quarter-finals. Inter were later dismantled 5-0 by PSG in the final.
“We followed PSG’s season with interest. It was a great story because things were not perfect at the beginning, and yet, despite the criticism of them, they kept fighting and believing,” Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said.
“But that doesn’t change anything for us. We want to win.”
Victory in this tournament would mark a successful debut season in charge for Kompany, who led Bayern to reclaim the Bundesliga title from Bayer Leverkusen.
“We can beat anyone.”
Despite PSG’s historic Champions League run, Bayern holds a recent psychological edge, having beaten the French champions 1-0 in the group stage last November.
“We have to try to take the energy and the good feeling into this match. We know it’s going to be difficult, but we feel like we can beat anyone when we’re at our top level,” said Harry Kane, who has scored an astonishing 41 goals in 50 appearances since last August.
PSG, who lost to Bayern in the 2020 Champions League final, are coming off a dominant 4-0 win over Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami in the round of 16. Their dream of adding a world title to their domestic and European crowns is still very much alive.
“We are having a historic season for our club, and we want to extend it in this competition,” said PSG coach Luis Enrique.
“Our objective is to go as far as possible, but to do that (and reach the final), we still need to come through two ties.”
Saturday’s quarter-final will be PSG’s 63rd match of a grueling campaign that began last August. Luis Enrique is calling for one final effort from his squad before a well-earned summer break.
Tragedy overshadows build-up
The match at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium comes in the shadow of tragedy, following the death of Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota in a car accident in Spain on Thursday.
The loss hit PSG particularly hard—four of their players, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, Joao Neves, and Goncalo Ramos, had recently played alongside Jota in the Portugal team that won the UEFA Nations League less than a month ago.
Both PSG and Bayern Munich held a moment of silence during training on Thursday to honor Jota’s memory.
— AFP
