Even the biggest doubters of the Club World Cup might find it hard to skip the much-anticipated semi-final clash on Wednesday between pre-tournament favorites Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.
PSG recovered from a surprising loss to Botafogo to finish at the top of their group. They have since triumphed over Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and Bayern Munich without conceding a single goal.
On the other hand, Madrid also had a shaky start, drawn 1-1 by Al-Hilal. However, they have been unbeaten in every game since then and are set to pose a tough challenge for the European champions in New Jersey.
Team update
In PSG's victory over Bayern, defenders Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernandez received red cards, which means Brazilian Lucas Beraldo might pair up with Marquinhos in the center of defense.
Ousmane Dembele scored after coming off the bench against Munich and might replace Bradley Barcola in PSG's formidable attacking trio.
Madrid is dealing with its own suspension problems, as new signing Dean Huijsen was sent off against Dortmund. Eder Militao is not fully fit, so Raul Asencio is likely to step in.
Although Kylian Mbappe scored as a substitute against Bayern, the impressive performances of rising star Gonzalo Garcia could see him missing out on a starting spot against the club where he scored 256 goals in seven years at Parc des Princes.
Match statistics
- PSG have won nine of their last ten matches
- In their last six wins, PSG kept a clean sheet in each match
- Real Madrid has won four consecutive games, scoring three goals in three of those victories
- In seven of Real Madrid's last 11 games, both teams have scored
- Young talent Gonzalo Garcia has scored four goals in five Club World Cup starts for Madrid
- Real emerged victorious 3-1 in their most recent meeting in 2022, but prior to that, they had gone three games without a win against PSG
Prediction
It might seem unusual to bet against the current top team in Europe when they are up against another European side. However, Real Madrid's abundance of talent makes the odds of them winning very appealing. With a team full of seasoned winners, it's hard to ignore such attractive odds.
Madrid welcomes back Mbappe, but with the outstanding form of Garcia who has already scored four goals, they might not even need him. Supported by players like Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, and Arda Guler, Madrid boasts a strong lineup.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has excelled since the shift to a 3-5-2 system by Xabi Alonso, providing assists in Madrid's last two matches. The absence of Huijsen may impact Madrid less than Pacho's absence for PSG.
Considering Luis Enrique's tactic of utilizing attacking full-backs, there is a possibility that Beraldo could be left vulnerable on the counter-attack.
Asencio should have an easier time in a three-defender setup, while Madrid's quick attackers could pose multiple challenges for PSG.
Under Alonso, Madrid has shown improvement in each game, and while PSG may be intimidating for most opponents, Real Madrid usually fear no one.