Paris Saint-Germain delivered a stunning performance to thrash Real Madrid 4-0 in the FIFA Club World Cup semi-final on Thursday, bringing an end to Xabi Alonso’s unbeaten tenure as manager after six consecutive victories.
In front of a crowd largely adorned in the iconic white of Real Madrid, expectations were high for the Spanish giants. But within the opening ten minutes, those hopes were shattered. A disastrous opening sequence saw PSG capitalise on two defensive errors to seize full control of the match.
Raúl Asencio’s lapse in concentration allowed Ousmane Dembélé to intercept and charge towards goal, only to be brought down by Thibaut Courtois. Fabián Ruiz was on hand to calmly bury the loose ball, putting the Ligue 1 champions ahead. Moments later, Antonio Rüdiger’s misdirected pass landed at the feet of Dembélé, who made no mistake with a precise left-footed shot past the Real Madrid goalkeeper.
From there, the French giants grew in confidence. Achraf Hakimi nearly extended the lead with a powerful strike from range, but it whistled just wide. The Moroccan full-back would soon turn provider, combining in a fluid attacking movement that ended with Ruiz finishing off his second of the night to make it 3-0 before the half-hour mark.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia had a golden opportunity to add a fourth before halftime, but his curling effort missed the far post by inches.
As play resumed after the break, Real Madrid showed brief glimpses of life. Désiré Doué found the net for PSG early in the second half, only to see the goal ruled out for a narrow offside. Despite marginal improvement from the Spanish side, Gianluigi Donnarumma remained largely untested in goal.
Kylian Mbappé, facing his former club for the first time, tried his luck from distance, but the effort sailed over the crossbar without troubling Courtois.
Luis Enrique’s side pushed for a fourth with Hakimi threading a dangerous ball into the path of Gonçalo Ramos, who dragged his shot wide from a tight angle. Real Madrid’s Éder Militão attempted to claw back some dignity with a speculative long-range strike late in the game, but it was PSG who would land the final blow.
Bradley Barcola dazzled with slick footwork inside the penalty box before squaring to Ramos, who coolly slotted home past Courtois to complete the rout.
The result marks a defensive milestone for PSG, who have now registered five consecutive clean sheets in knockout matches across all competitions. The emphatic victory sets up a high-profile clash against Chelsea in Sunday’s final, where the French and European champions will enter as clear favourites to lift the restructured Club World Cup trophy.
