Paris Saint-Germain enter the Club World Cup as the clear front-runners. Their opening match sees the French capital club take on Atletico Madrid in Los Angeles.
Fresh off their historic Champions League triumph, PSG aims to secure their inaugural Club World Cup title.
The Parisians are the undeniable favourites in this revised tournament format, determined to dominate every challenge that comes their way.
The competition promises to be fierce, but with their current form, confidence, and timing, it begs the question: who can truly stand in their way?
Atletico will provide the initial challenge. This is a team familiar to manager Luis Enrique, his coaching staff, and the players after they faced off at Parc des Princes last November, a match that ended in dramatic fashion with a late winner from Angel Correa, giving the Spaniards the victory.
If there were any uncertainties regarding PSG back then — surprising as that defeat may have been — they now appear to be miles ahead of the Colchoneros. This clash presents an ideal opportunity to commence their Club World Cup journey.
The first hurdle on the road to glory
Luis Enrique’s squad is eyeing a remarkable quintuple, but first, they must navigate past Atletico, ideally in a manner that showcases their style.
An important consideration for the encounter in Los Angeles is the anticipated temperature, which could reach 31°C but feel more like 38°C.
For the Parisians, “adaptation is key,” according to RMC Sport. Reports suggest that the squad has been diligently preparing to acclimatise to both the match schedule and the expected climatic conditions.
The medical and athletic performance teams are “paying close attention” to hydration and recovery as they work alongside the players.
Of course, Atletico will face the same weather conditions, but they might have a slight edge as they are accustomed to the heat that is commonplace in Madrid. Thus, while they will indeed be a formidable adversary, the need to adjust to the match surroundings presents yet another hurdle that could influence their game plan.
How will they handle pressure and vulnerable moments? How vital will ball control be in providing players with necessary respite? Will they need to maintain their usual intensity? These are pressing questions as we gear up for this opening fixture, which will give insight into which team will emerge at the top of Group B.
Yet, does securing the top spot in the group genuinely impact the subsequent rounds of the tournament?
The tournament’s structure mirrors that of the ‘real’ World Cup, meaning that finishing first would pit them against the Group A runner-up in the Round of 16, which could be FC Porto, Inter Miami, Palmeiras, or Al Ahly.
While Porto are clear frontrunners in that group, a favourable matchup awaits in any scenario.
Still, the question of whether it’s advantageous to top the group becomes relevant from the quarter-finals onwards.
Should PSG finish first, and barring any surprises, they could face Chelsea in the quarter-finals, with the prospect of meeting Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid , or Juventus in the semi-finals, leading to a potential final against Inter, Bayern Munich, or Manchester City.
Conversely, a second-place finish could mean a quarter-final clash with Bayern, then Inter or City in the semis, and a showdown against Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid, or Juventus at the MetLife Stadium on July 13th.
Two challenging paths exist, even if ‘option A’ appears slightly more manageable. Regardless, the most effective strategy for PSG remains to showcase themselves as the premier team in the tournament, just as they did in the Champions League.
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Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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