In one of the most eagerly awaited games in the group stage of the Club World Cup, PSG simply didn't know what to do against Atlético de Madrid and thrashed them 4-0, with more than 80,000 fans in attendance at the Rose Bowl and a performance that certainly has Seattle Sounders and Botafogo worried.
Atleti tried to spring a surprise in the opening minutes and had an early scare through Julian Álvarez, but Luis Enrique's side were able to neutralize their early attacking volume with ease, working the ball very well and dominating possession to control the attacking play, putting a lot of pressure on Simeone's side.
In the 19th minute, we opened the scoring after a good exchange of passes in attack. Doué laid the ball off for Kvaratskhelia to control in the area and set up Fabián Ruiz, who hit a firm left-footed shot into the corner that left Oblak with no chance of saving. With this lead on the scoreboard, the Parisians were able to maintain control and find their second goal, when Vitinha was set up by Kvaratskhelia and broke through the lines of defense to shoot perfectly.
After the break, Atlético Madrid adopted a more aggressive stance and tried to make an impression, but they couldn't balance the action. PSG managed to be very accurate in their transitions and exploited the spaces provided very well to get close to the third goal, mainly through the actions of Kvaratskhelia, the main tactical highlight of the match.
There was a considerable drop in intensity in the second half due to the intense heat throughout the Rose Bowl, but PSG's situation was made much easier from the 33rd minute onwards, when Lenglet complained too much about the referee and was sent off. As a result, Luis Enrique's side picked up the pace again and went in search of a third goal, when Hakimi made a fine run into the box and Mayulu struck low to complete the victory. Before the final whistle, Le Normand conceded a penalty and Lee Kang-In made it 4-0.
Atlético de Madrid need to be worried about the group stage
While PSG are clearly well on the way to the last 16, Atlético de Madrid are worried by the fact that they were unable to be competitive against a much more worn-out team. Diego Simeone should therefore be more concerned about his team's performance when it comes to beating Seattle Sounders and Botafogo.