FABIAN RUIZ scored twice as European champions Paris Saint-Germain psg put on an impressive display in their reunion with Kylian Mbappe on Wednesday, thrashing Real Madrid 4-0 in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup to set up a final showdown with Chelsea.
Ruiz and Ousmane Dembele struck within the opening nine minutes to shock Real and silence the majority of the 77,542 crowd dressed in white at the MetLife Stadium outside New York. The Spanish midfielder added another before half-time, and Goncalo Ramos netted a late fourth as Luis Enrique’s side moved one game away from glory at FIFA’s new tournament.
PSG’s fluid performance sharply contrasted with Madrid, who are still a work in progress under new coach Xabi Alonso. Meanwhile, Mbappe struggled to make an impact in his first start of the tournament and his first game against PSG since departing the club a year ago. The France captain hoped for a different result against the team for whom he scored a record 256 goals. This defeat is a significant setback for Real as they aimed to secure the first 32-team Club World Cup to add to their record tally of 15 European Cups.
However, PSG have thrived without Mbappe and have become such a cohesive unit that they appear unstoppable—it would be a major surprise if they were to falter against Chelsea.
Luis Enrique was without imposing centre-back Willian Pacho due to suspension from his sending-off against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals, but that did not hinder the team’s performance. Lucas Beraldo stepped into the defence seamlessly, and the rest of PSG’s first-choice lineup was intact.
– Day to forget for Mbappe –
Real were missing central defender Dean Huijsen due to suspension, and the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold was an added blow. The return of Mbappe to the starting XI, after missing the entire group stage due to illness, did not prevent young striker Gonzalo Garcia from retaining his place. However, the Spanish giants’ front line, featuring Vinicius Junior, failed to make any impact, showcasing PSG’s dominance.
Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made two fantastic saves within the first five minutes—one to tip away a Ruiz shot, and the other to deny Nuno Mendes from close range. Yet, he couldn’t prevent Paris from scoring in the sixth minute when Dembele capitalized on lapses in defending by Raul Asencio. The Real goalkeeper saved at the forward’s feet, but Ruiz was quick to slot in the rebound.
Three minutes later, the contest was all but over as Antonio Rudiger mishandled a simple pass from Jude Bellingham, allowing Dembele to break through and finish low into the corner.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia nearly netted a fourth before the break, while Desire Doue had a goal ruled out for offside early in the second half. However, Real were unable to mount a comeback, prompting Alonso to substitute Bellingham and Vinicius shortly after the hour mark—a clear sign of surrender.
PSG capped off their dominant display with a fourth goal in the 87th minute when Ramos controlled a pass from fellow substitute Bradley Barcola, turned, and fired it in.
