PSG crush Real Madrid 4-0 to reach Club World Cup final
Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Semi Final - Paris St Germain v Real Madrid - MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S. - July 9, 2025 Paris St Germain's Fabian Ruiz celebrates scoring their first goal with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli
EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey - Paris St Germain's Spanish midfielder Fabian Ruiz scored twice in a devastating first-half display as the French champions demolished Real Madrid 4-0 on Wednesday to book their place in the Club World Cup final against Chelsea.
Two defensive errors handed PSG their opening goals within nine minutes at MetLife Stadium.
Raul Asencio's poor control in the sixth minute gifted Ousmane Dembele possession and his first effort was saved by Thibaut Courtois before the rebound was picked up by Ruiz who scored into an empty net.
Antonio Ruediger's wayward pass three minutes later allowed Dembele to burst unmarked into the box before firing a tidy finish past Courtois.
Ruiz struck again in the 24th minute after Achraf Hakimi made a great run down the right and the Spaniard held off defender Raul Asencio with a feint before finishing perfectly from close range.
Substitute Goncalo Ramos completed the rout for European champions PSG three minutes from time. REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
32 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Farrell named on Lions bench; "positive news" on Kinghorn
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox MELBOURNE - Former England captain Owen Farrell has been named among the replacements for the British & Irish Lions' tour match against an Australia-New Zealand Invitational XV in Adelaide on Saturday. The Lions also announced that Scotland fullback Blair Kinghorn had "received positive news" following a scan on a knee injury sustained early in the victory over the Brumbies on Wednesday. There were fears that the injury might be serious, causing head coach Andy Farrell a potential headache at fullback following the fractured arm that ended Elliot Daly's tour and the scratchy form of Ireland's Hugo Keenan. Jamie Osborne, currently with the Ireland squad in Portugal, will join the Lions to provide additional training cover. Andy Farrell brought son Owen into the squad last week following the injury that ruled versatile back Daly out of the three-match test series against the Wallabies. Though boasting 112 England caps and three previous Lions tours, the 33-year-old flyhalf/centre's inclusion was polarising given he has not played a test since 2023 and is coming off an injury-plagued season in French club rugby. Andy Farrell, who defended Owen's inclusion last week, said on Thursday his son was no different to other teammates in needing to catch up fast to the Lions' playbook. "He's the same as everyone else who's had to get up to speed pretty quickly," Farrell told a press conference in Adelaide on Thursday. "Everyone had to at the start and a few have come in since. I think the art of this stage of the tour is mentally being as switched on as you possibly can. "There's not that much training that you can do. We're at a captain's run tomorrow and that's the preparation for this game." With only a couple of days' break following the laboured 36-24 win over the ACT Brumbies, Farrell has overhauled his squad while retaining a few players from Canberra. Winger Mack Hansen and loose forward Henry Pollock, who each played off the bench against the Brumbies, were included in the starting 15. England's Marcus Smith has also been retained on the bench after replacing Kinghorn in the first half in Canberra, with Keenan starting in the number 15 jersey Adelaide. Lock Tadhg Beirne will captain the side as Maro Itoje is rested. Farrell's team will face 14 test players in the AUNZ line-up coached by Les Kiss at Adelaide Oval, their final run-out before the first test on July 19. "As a unit, how they gel together, there's a little bit of unknown there," Farrell said of their opponents. "It looks like a formidable side, doesn't it, that's going to be hard to stop." Team: 15-Hugo Keenan, 14-Mack Hansen, 13-Huw Jones, 12-Sione Tuipulotu, 11-Duhan van der Merwe, 10-Fin Smith, 9-Ben White, 8-Ben Earl, 7-Jac Morgan, 6-Henry Pollock, 5-Tadhg Beirne (capt), 4-James Ryan, 3-Will Stuart, 2-Luke Cowan-Dickie, 1-Pierre Schoeman Replacements: 16-Ronan Kelleher, 17-Andrew Porter, 18-Finlay Bealham, 19-Scott Cummings, 20-Josh van der Flier, 21-Alex Mitchell, 22-Marcus Smith, 23-Owen Farrell REUTERS
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Arsenal sign Brentford captain Norgaard to strengthen midfield
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Brentford v Fulham - GTech Community Stadium, London, Britain - May 18, 2025 Brentford's Christian Norgaard during a lap of appreciation after the match REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Arsenal have signed Christian Norgaard from Brentford, the two Premier League clubs said on Thursday as the North London club continues to strengthen the midfield following close-season departures. Financial details were not disclosed but British media reports said Arsenal paid an initial fee of 10 million pounds ($13.60 million) to sign the 31-year-old Denmark international on a two-year deal with an option for a third year. "He is an international player with a wealth of experience of the Premier League. He has proven leadership skills and a strong character which will be invaluable to our squad," Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said in a statement. "He is a strong midfielder with excellent tactical awareness and versatility. He also has physical presence and intelligence which will give us added depth and balance. Christian will bring a lot to the group both on and off the pitch." Norgaard is Arsenal's third recruit in the close season after they signed goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea and defensive midfielder Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad. Arsenal have effectively replaced Jorginho and Thomas Partey after the two midfielders' contracts ran out at the end of June. Norgaard, who spent six years at Brentford and helped them gain promotion to the Premier League in 2021, was also the club's captain in the last two seasons. An ever-reliable central midfielder in the Brentford squad, Norgaard has made 122 Premier League appearances in four seasons. He will be a welcome addition to Arsenal as they compete on multiple fronts and said the opportunity to play in the Champions League was too good to resist. "Now, I get to hear the anthem and be a part of a Champions League campaign. It's a childhood dream and something I didn't think would be possible. So it's something I'm really, really happy about," he said. The Dane has made more interceptions than any other player since his Premier League debut in 2021. Arsenal begin their Premier League campaign on August 17 when they travel to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United. REUTERS
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Double Dakar winner Sunderland chasing round the world record
Double Dakar Rally motorcycle champion Sam Sunderland is gearing up to ride around the world in 19 days, a record bid that the Briton expects to be mentally more challenging than anything he has done before. He has raced across Saudi deserts, been slowed by gun-toting soldiers in Morocco and stood alone at the pinnacle of Dubai's half-mile high Burj Khalifa, but says this latest adventure may top them all. The bid, launched on Thursday, targets a record of 19 days, eight hours and 25 minutes set in 2002 by Kevin and Julia Sanders for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe by motorcycle. To beat the feat, which is no longer recognised by Guinness World Records because of the dangers involved, the 36-year-old will have to ride 1,000 miles every day and on public roads across Europe, Turkey and into the Middle East. A flight will take him on to the Australian outback, New Zealand and the Americas. From there, he and the Triumph Tiger 1200 go to Morocco and loop back through Europe to Britain. What could possibly go wrong? "I don't think you can ride around the world and cover that many miles a day without having a few hiccups along the way," Sunderland told Reuters with a grin. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Business S'pore to launch new grant for companies, expand support for workers amid US tariff uncertainties Singapore PAP appoints new heads of backbench parliamentary committees Singapore Singaporean fugitive charged over alleged drug trafficking, faces death penalty if convicted World 'Do some homework': 6 key exchanges between US Senator Duckworth and S'pore envoy nominee Sinha Sport No pain, no gain for Singapore's water polo teams at the world championships Singapore New regional centre for sustainable aviation in Asia-Pacific launched in Singapore Multimedia 60 objects to mark SG60: Which is your favourite? Business Fresh grads should 'stay calm' in job search; uptick in hiring seen: Tan See Leng "When I try and compare it to the Dakar it's going to be probably, in some sense, tougher. Not physically but mentally. "In the Dakar you've got a heap of adrenaline, you're super focused, things are changing quite often which makes you have to react. And this is like: 'Right, those are your miles for the day, get them done'. It's more like a mental fatigue." ONE DIRECTION The target time excludes ocean crossings but the journey, starting in September, must go one way around the world and start and finish at the same location on the same machine. Two antipodal points must be reached on a journey through more than 15 countries and 13 time zones. The Dakar rally covers 5,000 miles over two weeks. "I was trying to put it into perspective for my mum the other day, and my mum lives in Poole in the south of England, and I was like 'Mum, it's like you driving up to Scotland and perhaps halfway back every day for 19 days'," said Sunderland. "I'm on the bike for around 17 hours (a day). I set off at 5 a.m. and arrive around 10, 11 p.m. most nights. So definitely later into the day you feel that sort of mental fatigue setting in, and to stay focused and stimulated is not that easy. "But at least I don't have dunes and mountains to deal with and other riders in the dust, and hopefully not getting lost either." Dakar competitors, who now race entirely in Saudi Arabia, are also unlikely to get stopped for speeding or become delayed by traffic congestion. "I need to behave, let's say, I need to follow the rules of the road and be a good boy with it," said Sunderland, who announced his retirement from professional racing last year. Sunderland will have a support crew of six travelling behind by car, for security and assistance, but the Red Bull-backed rider expects to be well ahead. He also hopes his bid will have a positive effect. "In the news today, it's all sort of doom and gloom in the world, with all the wars going on," he said. "And I think it's quite nice to show people that you can still get out there and experience the world for what it really is." REUTERS
