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PSG: The European champions are enjoying themselves under Luis Enrique, a world away from their last game against Bayern Munich, whose manager Vincent Kompany could scarcely have been more complimentary about his opposite number in the build-up to today’s game. Words: Sid Lowe in Atlanta.
Match preview
These European heavyweights met 7,000 miles away in November, when Bayern Munich prevailed courtesy of a Kim Min-jae goal at the Allianz Arena in the Champions League group stage.Luis Enrique’s position appeared to be under serious threat because at the time it was a defeat that left PSG in grave danger of making an ignominious and early exit from a competition they would eventually go on to win in fine style.
While PSG may be the European champions, their recent record against Bayern is not good. The French side have lost each of their past four matches against the German champions, failing to score in any of them. However, the PSG side that will line up against Bayern today is a completely different animal to previous incarnations of a side whose backbone – or apparent lack thereof – was the subject of much discussion and mockery in European football circles. In winning a Ligue1, Coupe de France and Champions League treble last season they’ve made a statement and now have nothing to fear.
PSG v Bayern Munich line-ups
Paris Saint-Germain: Donnarumma, Hakimi, Nuno Mendes, Marquinhos, Pacho, Vitinha, Neves, Fabian, Doue, Barcola, Kvaratskhelia.
Subs: Safonov, Tenas, Hernandez, Lucas Beraldo, Kamara, Lee, Zaire Emery, Mayulu, Dembele, Goncalo Ramos, Mbaye.
Bayern Munich: Neuer, Laimer, Stanisic, Upamecano, Tah, Pavlovic, Olise, Kimmich, Musiala, Coman, Kane.
Subs: Peretz, Urbig, Guerreiro, Kim, Boey, Aznou, Kiala, Goretzka, Joao Palhinha, Bischof, Karl, Daiber, Muller, Gnabry, Kusi-Asare.
Today’s match officials
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Referee: Anthony Taylor
Assistant referees: Gary Beswick and Adam Nunn
Fourth official: Glenn Nyberg -
VAR: Ivan Bebek
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Assistant VAR: Marco Di Bello
Premier League staple Anthony Taylor leads today’s team of match officials and may find himself on the wrong end of some “banter” from Bayern fans who will not have forgotten the penalty he failed to award Germany in their thrilling Euro 2024 quarter-final defeat against Spain for what they and others felt to be a fairly blatant Marc Cucurella handball.
With the scores level at 1-1, the Spanish full-back blocked a powerful, goalbound Jamal Musiala shot with his hand, Taylor decided against awarding a spot-kick and Spain went on to win the match and tournament. It was subsequently decreed by some panel of eggheads that Talor had made the wrong decision, although to be fair, Cucurella’s arm was stretched resolutely downwards rather than upwards or to one side. As for whether or not it was in a natural position? Well, you can argue that one until the cows come home.
Early team news: Ousmane Dembele missed all three group games through injury but returned as a substitute for his side’s win over Inter Miami in the first knockout round. The winger was sent off in PSG’s defeat at the hands of Bayern in November and will be hoping to make amends if he gets a run-out today.
Bayern Munich will be without Leroy Sane, who departed the club to join Galatasaray on a free transfer when his contract expired the day after he helped the German side beat Flamengo last weekend. Alphonso Davies (ACL) and Hiroki Ito (broken foot) remain sidelined, while Kim Min-jae (achilles) is nearing full fitness but seems unlikely to feature in this tournament. Due to leave Bayern as soon as their interest in the Club World Cup ends, Thomas Muller could make his 756th and final appearance for the club in Atlanta today.
Quarter-final: PSG v Bayern Munich
A much maligned vanity project and Fifa cash and power grab, the Club World Cup 2.0 has now reached that point where, whatever their feelings about having to travel stateside for up to a month at the end of a gruelling season, the remaining teams will now be of a mind that seeing as they’ve made it this far, they might as well try to go a little further. Chelsea and the Brazilian side Fluminense have already made it to the last four and in a few hours one of PSG and Bayern Munich will join them.
The European heavyweights meet for a noon showdown at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, a 75,000-capacity venue that is normally home to the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and MLS’s Atlanta United. Notable for its iconic retractable roof and 360-degree halo video display, it is unlikely to be full given that Fifa were struggling to sell reduced price tickets for its upper tiers during the week at a cut-price $44.
Assuming the pinwheel roof is closed for today’s match, any potential last-minute walk-ups are unlikely to be put off by the forecast 32C heat forecast for Atlanta this afternoon. The cool conditions inside this EnormoDome will also suit the aggressive pressing style so synonymous with both Bayern and PSG. Kick-off is at 5pm (BST) but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
