Paris Saint-Germain began their FIFA Club World Cup campaign in emphatic fashion, thrashing Spanish side Atletico Madrid 4-0 in a blazing Group B opener at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
In front of a lively crowd of 80,619 spectators, the reigning European champions picked up right where they left off in the UEFA Champions League final, delivering a stylish attacking masterclass under the scorching Californian sun.
Fabian Ruiz, Vitinha, Senny Mayulu, and Lee Kang-In all found the net for the Ligue 1 champions, showcasing a level of fluidity and precision that left Atletico unable to respond.
PSG seized control from the outset, with Goncalo Ramos and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia testing Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak within the opening 20 minutes. The Spanish shot-stopper made early saves, but could do nothing to prevent PSG from drawing first blood.
A sharp, multi-pass move down the right led to Kvaratskhelia supplying a perfectly weighted layoff for Ruiz, who drilled home a low effort in the 19th minute to give PSG the lead.
Atletico’s frustrations mounted quickly. Defender Clement Lenglet received a yellow card for a clumsy foul on Achraf Hakimi, followed minutes later by another booking for Robin Le Normand, who brought down Ruiz during a counterattack.
PSG continued to apply relentless pressure. Although Atletico managed their first real effort just before half-time through Antoine Griezmann, whose strike forced a smart save from Gianluigi Donnarumma, the French side responded immediately.
Another explosive PSG move saw Kvaratskhelia break away and slide a pass to Vitinha, who calmly slotted past Oblak for a 2-0 advantage at the break.
Atletico briefly thought they had clawed back into the contest in the second half when Julian Alvarez fired a crisp shot into the net. However, VAR intervened, disallowing the goal after identifying a foul by Rodrigo De Paul in the build-up.
Despite increased intensity, Atletico failed to produce a single shot on target for the remainder of the game. Their evening worsened when Lenglet received a second yellow and subsequent red card in the 78th minute.
Moments later, substitute Alexander Sorloth missed a golden opportunity to reduce the deficit, skying his shot over the bar despite facing an open goal.
PSG took full advantage, with youngster Senny Mayulu capitalizing on a defensive mix-up to score the third in the 87th minute. The final nail came in stoppage time, when Lee Kang-In confidently converted from the penalty spot after a handball by Le Normand.
Next up, PSG will face Brazil’s Botafogo on Thursday in their second Group B fixture, before taking on MLS side Seattle Sounders on June 23.
