PSG is on a roll this year. Just six weeks ago, the French team decimated the Italian giant Inter Milan 5-0 in the UEFA Champions League final. And today, Luis Enrique’s team dismantled yet another European giant. PSG vs Real Madrid ended in a brutal 4-0 defeat for Madrid as PSG reached the FIFA World Cup Final.
The UEFA winners were 3-0 up after just 24 minutes with two goals from Fabián Ruiz and an incredible goal from Ousmane Dembélé. What saved Real Madrid from more embarrassment were two stunning saves by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and some bad misses by PSG to keep the scoreline respectable for the La Liga giant. However, Gonçalo Ramos drilled the final nail in the coffin as he scored a deserved fourth in the 87th minute for PSG.
Kylian Mbappé, starting his first game of the tournament, failed to make an impact during the PSG vs Real Madrid semi-finals. PSG will now face Chelsea in the FIFA Club World Cup final on Sunday.
PSG vs Real Madrid: PSG’s Transformation on the European Stage
Last season, PSG was a team that one could have easily missed. However, in just one year, PSG has become the best team in the world to watch. Since Mbappe, PSG’s all-time top scorer and star player, left last summer for Real Madrid, Enrique has built a new-look frontline. Dembele, Desire Doue, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are electric. And then there is the wildcard, Bradley Barcola, to cause mayhem, too.
Their midfield is nothing like the previous season. The Portuguese duo João Neves and Vitinha, and the Spaniard Ruiz, control the game like nobody else. John Obi Mikel said at the PSG vs Real Madrid half-time that “when the three in the middle dictate the play like that, no one can stop them.” He added that matching the trio of midfielders is a “masterclass.”
After winning the French Cup, Ligue 1, and Champions League, only Chelsea stands in their way of a fourth major trophy of 2025.
Could PSG Be The Next Barcelona?
Under Pep Guardiola, the Barcelona team was regarded as the best club side the game has ever seen. However, critics argue that PSG’s new midfield deserves to be in the conversation about the greatest.
Guardiola’s Barcelona possessed a world-class midfield of Xavi, Sergio Busquets, and Andres Iniesta. Although the genius of Lionel Messi elevated them to another level, it was that midfield axis that controlled games. But the PSG’s midfield we saw in the PSG vs Real Madrid semi-final does the same job as Barcelona’s legendary midfield.
Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson once said that Barcelona beat teams with their “passing carousel,” and that is also what PSG do. While Barca had Lionel Messi, PSG is more of a collective unit. It was evident during the PSG vs Real Madrid semi-finals. At half-time, Madrid’s average ball recovery time was 45 seconds, while for PSG, it was 23 seconds. Almost twice as fast as Real Madrid.
They have great players, but they work for it, too. That’s why the current PSG is the best team in the world.
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