Paris Saint-Germain crush Real Madrid 4–0 to reach Club World Cup Final against Chelsea
Victory against Chelsea on Sunday would complete a campaign of unparalleled success for the Parisians, who won the French title and then the first UEFA Champions League in their history in May. After blowing away Inter Milan 5-0, the biggest victory in European Cup final history, PSG began their Club World Cup bid by putting four past Atletico Madrid and the ease with which they disposed of Real here was striking.
PSG's fluidity contrasted starkly with Madrid, who are a work in progress under new coach Xabi Alonso. Meanwhile Mbappé struggled to make any impact on his first start at the tournament and in his first game against PSG since leaving the French club a year ago. The France captain was hoping for a different outcome against the team for whom he scored a club record 256 goals, and the defeat is a real blow to Real as they hoped to win the first 32-team Club World Cup to add to their record tally of 15 European Cups.
But PSG have improved without Mbappé and are now such a well-oiled machine that they appear unstoppable – it would be a big surprise if they failed to beat Chelsea. Luis Enrique was without imposing center-back Willian Pacho due to suspension following his sending-off against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals, but that did not matter. Lucas Beraldo slotted into the defense with ease, and the rest of PSG's first-choice line-up was there.
Day to forget for Mbappé
Real were missing central defender Dean Huijsen through suspension, while the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold was an added blow. The return to the starting XI of Mbappé, who missed the entire group stage through illness, did not prevent young striker Gonzalo García from keeping his place. But the Spanish giants' front line, completed by Vinicius Junior, made no real impact, such was the extent of PSG's domination.
Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made two superb saves inside the opening five minutes, the first to tip away a Ruiz shot, and the second to deny Nuno Mendes from point-blank range. Yet Courtois could not prevent Paris from scoring in the sixth minute, as Dembélé pounced on slack defending by Raúl Asencio. The Real keeper saved at the forward's feet but Ruiz converted the loose ball.
Three minutes later and the contest was effectively over when Antonio Rudiger failed to control a simple pass from Jude Bellingham, allowing Dembélé to run through before finishing low into the corner. Like his friend Mbappé, Dembélé was starting for the first time at the competition having been injured. That was a 34th club goal since August for a player who is a serious candidate for the Ballon d'Or. It was turning into a humiliating afternoon for Real as PSG got their third midway through the first half.
A deflected shot by Mbappé was easily held by Gianluigi Donnarumma, and no Madrid player touched the ball again before they were picking it out of their own net a minute later. Dembélé released Achraf Hakimi on the right and he squared for Ruiz, the Spain star taking a touch to hold off Fede Valverde before finishing. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia could have got a fourth before the interval, while Desiré Doué had a goal disallowed for offside early in the second half.
But Real were not coming back, and Alonso opted to take off Bellingham and Vinicius just after the hour mark in a clear sign of surrender. PSG then got their fourth after 87 minutes when Ramos controlled a pass from fellow substitute Bradley Barcola, turned and fired in.
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