PSG and Bayern Munich meet in the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup this Saturday at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, a fixture involving two of Europe's biggest clubs. Both sides have been relatively comfortable in the tournament thus far, but as we reach the business end of the competition, easy, mismatched fixtures are well and truly a thing of the past.
PSG arrive in Atlanta after topping Group B, accumulating six points with a goal difference of +5. Their group campaign included a commanding 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid, a narrow 1-0 defeat to Botafogo, and a professional 2-0 victory against Seattle Sounders to secure their place in the knockout rounds. The French champions also dispatched Inter Miami 4-0 in the Round of 16, a match that highlighted a major disparity in quality between the two sides.
Under manager Luis Enrique, PSG have instilled a structured, flexible approach, blending the individual quality of players like Desire Doue, Achraf Hakimi, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia with disciplined off-the-ball work and fluid, exciting attacking play. Their style of play has captivated the footballing world this season and should they continue to produce trophies, you feel as though the team could eventually yield a degree of global influence comparable to Barcelona in the early 2010s.
PSG’s recent form is strong, with four wins and one loss in their last five matches across all competitions. Their defensive record has been particularly impressive, conceding just one goal in the group stage and keeping clean sheets in their last two matches. Enrique’s experience at the highest level has helped PSG bring the best out of their talented attackers while keeping them humble enough to do the dirty work in defence, making them an incredibly hard team to beat.
Likewise, Bayern Munich also topped their group, finishing with six points and a formidable goal difference of +10, courtesy of a 10-0 win over Auckland City and a 2-1 victory against Boca Juniors. In the Round of 16, Bayern defeated Flamengo 4-2, with Harry Kane scoring twice and Leon Goretzka adding another, rounding off a win in a game some people had earmarked as a potential banana skin. The squad, managed by Vincent Kompany, features some of the finest attacking talent in the world, with the likes of Harry Kane, Michael Olise and Jamal Musiala making up one of the finest attacking lineups on the planet.
Bayern’s recent form mirrors PSG’s, with four wins and one defeat in their last five matches. They have scored prolifically, with Kane in particular proving clinical in front of goal. Defensively, Bayern have been solid, though they did concede twice against Flamengo, a reminder that for a side with plenty of attacking talent, the Bavarians are often there for the taking at the back.
In this season's Champions League, Bayern's defensive showing was largely their undoing, and while injuries played a part in that, there's still a feeling that they haven't fully shored up their weaknesses in that department. PSG are probably the worst possible opponent for a side with defensive flaws, and while Bayern are a worthy match for the Parisians, it's hard to see them getting past the European champions here.
PSG 3-2 Bayern Munich
