Paris Saint-Germain secured their place in the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup, triumphing over fellow European giants Bayern Munich with a 2-0 victory, thus breaking a streak of four consecutive losses against the German team.
With both sides showing a lack of attacking prowess early on, it wasn’t until the 20th minute that a clear opportunity emerged. A neat passing sequence from PSG culminated in Desire Doué pulling the ball back for Fabián Ruiz, stationed just outside the box, but his shot sailed over the crossbar.
The game saw exchanges of chances, with Bayern’s Michael Olise managing to test Gianluigi Donnarumma with a powerful shot, which the PSG keeper adeptly saved.
Moments later, the tide shifted in favour of PSG as they created their clearest opening just after the half-hour mark. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia displayed exceptional skill, evading several Bayern defenders only to have his low shot thwarted by the legs of Manuel Neuer.
Bayern momentarily regained control, nearly equalising just before halftime when Dayot Upamecano headed in Olise’s free-kick. However, their celebrations were cut short by the assistant referee’s flag for offside.
The first half ended on a sour note for Bayern as Jamal Musiala suffered a serious injury, which hindered their momentum. The start of the second half saw Bradley Barcola break free on goal, but Neuer pulled off a vital save to keep his side in the game.
Neuer then faced a scare when his lax control allowed Ousmane Dembele to pounce on the loose ball, but in an incredible twist, Dembele’s attempt rolled just wide of the post with the goal gaping.
Finally, Bayern’s defence cracked with a little over 10 minutes remaining, thanks to Doué’s clever play. He received the ball back on the edge of the area and guided his shot into the near post, leaving Neuer wrong-footed.
PSG made life difficult for themselves when, just five minutes later, Willian Pacho received a red card for a reckless challenge on Leon Goretzka.
This seemed a severe blow when Harry Kane appeared to score an equaliser, but once again, the assistant referee’s flag curtailed Bayern’s hopes.
As the final minutes of the match approached, PSG’s goal came under intense pressure during a lengthy six minutes of stoppage time, and matters worsened when Lucas Hernández was sent off for an elbow on Raphael Guerreiro, leaving PSG with just nine men.
Remarkably, even while two players down, they found a way to score again, this time through Dembele, who found the net with one of the final kicks of the match.
In a dramatic conclusion, Bayern were awarded a penalty during stoppage time, but referee Anthony Taylor reversed his decision after a review at the pitchside monitor, enabling PSG to confirm their passage to the semi-finals and push their quest for more silverware as they eye a quadruple from the ongoing season.
Click here for more about the match.
LiveScore – Live Sports Results & Odds.
