Egypt Daily News – Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) secured their place in the FIFA Club World Cup semifinals with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over European rivals Bayern Munich, ending a four-match losing streak against the German giants.
The clash, held in Atlanta, was marked by a cautious start from both sides, with the first clear chance only arriving after 20 minutes. PSG’s slick buildup saw Desire Doué feed Fabián Ruiz on the edge of the box, but Ruiz’s shot sailed over the crossbar.
The game saw chances traded as Bayern’s Michael Olise tested PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma with a sharp shot, which was expertly saved. Soon after, PSG’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia carved through the Bayern defense but saw his low strike denied by Manuel Neuer.
Just before halftime, Bayern thought they had taken the lead when Dayot Upamecano headed in from a free kick, only for the goal to be disallowed for offside. The half ended on a sour note for Bayern with Jamal Musiala suffering a serious injury.
The second half intensified with early drama as PSG’s Bradley Barcola broke clear, only for Neuer to pull off a crucial save. Moments later, Ousmane Dembélé found himself one-on-one with an open goal but astonishingly missed, sending the ball inches wide.
The deadlock was finally broken with just over 10 minutes remaining. Doué, involved in the buildup, received the ball back on the edge of the area and fired a low shot past Neuer to put PSG ahead.
PSG’s lead was threatened soon after when Willian Pacho was shown a red card for a reckless challenge on Leon Goretzka. Bayern seemed to have equalized through a Harry Kane header, but once again, the offside flag denied them.
In a dramatic finish, PSG was reduced to nine men when Lucas Hernández was sent off for an elbow on Raphael Guerreiro. Despite the numerical disadvantage and heavy pressure in six minutes of stoppage time, PSG doubled their advantage through Dembélé’s late goal.
The final twist came when Bayern was initially awarded a penalty in stoppage time, only for referee Anthony Taylor to overturn the decision after consulting the pitchside monitor.
PSG’s resilience and composure under pressure have propelled them into the semifinals, as they eye adding the Club World Cup to their impressive haul of trophies won this season.
