Club World Cup: PSG put four past Atletico Madrid in opening group B game
PSG began their Club World Cup campaign in style, brushing aside Atlético Madrid with a confident 4–0 win under the California sun.
Despite a sluggish start that felt more like a pre-season friendly, the European champions gradually found their rhythm, taking control of the game and the scoreboard.
Fabian Ruiz opened the scoring with a low drive from distance, before Vitinha doubled the lead just before halftime with a composed finish.
Julián Álvarez nearly pulled one back for Atlético with a neat finish, but it was ruled out for a foul in the buildup. Senny Mayulu then sealed the win, putting the result beyond doubt with a late third. Lee Kang-In confidently converted a penalty with the final kick of the game to round off a statement victory for PSG.
PSG celebrate their second goal on the stroke of halftime. Photo by Harry How/Getty Images
After an unentertaining start to the tournament, Gianni Infantino would have been hoping that a clash between two European giants would attract a crowd.
PSG, who lifted the Champions League trophy just 15 days earlier, made one change to their lineup, with Ousmane Dembélé replaced by Gonçalo Ramos due to a muscular injury the Frenchman sustained while on international duty.
Diego Simeone made a handful of changes to the Atlético Madrid side that finished their league campaign on 25 May, but both Julián Álvarez and Antoine Griezmann retained their partnership up front in a 4-4-2 formation.
Despite the prospect of seeing some of football's biggest stars, the Rose Bowl Stadium was almost half-empty at kick-off.
PSG celebrate taking the lead. Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images
The opening exchanges lacked intensity, resembling more of a pre-season friendly than a high-stakes tournament clash, as PSG looked to dominate possession while Atlético sat deep and absorbed the pressure.
In the sweltering heat, the tempo remained sluggish, and neither side managed to generate any real attacking momentum.
It took 18 minutes for PSG to carve out the first dangerous opportunity of the game, with Désiré Doué getting down the right before putting a cross into the box for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, whose shot on the turn caused a slight problem for Jan Oblak.
Despite the slow start, the European Champions took the lead one minute later through Fabian Ruiz's low drilled strike from outside the box. It was a spark of brilliance that briefly lit up the atmosphere like a firework, before fading back into silence.
Diego Simeone seemed unbothered that Atlético Madrid had gone 1–0 down, as they continued to sit back and try to hit PSG on the break.
Giuliano Simeone appeared to be through on goal before Nuno Mendes brought the winger down, but the referee waved play on.
Photo by Patrick Fallon/Getty Images
This was Atlético's only real chance of the half until the stroke of halftime, when Griezmann saw his powerful strike saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Although it was a slightly more positive spell from the Spanish side, they found themselves two goals down just seconds later, after PSG's quick counter-attack ended with Vitinha finding the back of the net with a curled finish.
PSG went into the break with a deserved 2-0 lead, leaving Atlético with an uphill climb in the second half under the scorching California sun.
In a bid to spark a revival, Simeone turned to the experience of 33-year-old club captain Koke, bringing him on to tighten up the midfield in place of Samuel Lino.
However, PSG picked up where they left off, and just four minutes into the second half, Jan Oblak was forced to tip Kvaratskhelia's strike onto the crossbar.
Oblak is forced to make a save early in the second half. Photo by Harry How/Getty Images
Argentinian striker Julián Álvarez thought he had halved the deficit on the hour mark with a calm finish into the far corner, but after a VAR review, Romanian referee István Kovács addressed the crowd in English and ruled the goal out for a foul by Koke on Doué in the buildup.
After the disallowed goal, PSG tried to reassert control and disrupted Atlético's rhythm with a series of minor tactical fouls to slow the pace of the game.
With 13 minutes left on the clock, Clément Lenglet made matters worse for Atlético by receiving a second yellow card for dissent.
The defender felt compelled to confront the referee after he failed to award a foul on Jan Oblak, who appeared to be impeded while trying to roll the ball out.
Substitute Alexander Sørloth had a golden opportunity to get his side back into the game but missed an almost open net from inside the six-yard box.
Mayulu sealed the win late on with a clinical finish after Atlético failed to deal with the initial cross into the box and then Lee Kang-In scored from the spot with the final kick of the game to ensure PSG got off to a winning start in group B.
PSG: Donnarumma, Mendes, Pacho, Marquinhos, Hakimi, Ruiz, Vitinha, Neves, Kvaratskhelia, Ramos, Doue.
Subs: Hernandez, Kamara, Lee Kang-In, Beraldo, Mayulu, Mbaye, Safonov, Tenas, Zaire-Emery.
Atletico Madrid: Oblak, Galan, Lenglet, Le Normand, Llorente, Simeone, De Paul, Barrios, Samuel Lino, Alvarez, Griezmann.
Subs: Azpilicueta, Correa, Gallagher, Gimenez, Gomis, Reinildo, Kostis, Witsel, Lemar, Martin , Molina, Musso, Koke, Riquelme, Sorloth.