Tag: Paris Saint-Germain

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Liverpool down Real Madrid in Champions League; Bayern edge PSG

Alexis Mac Allister scored the only goal as Liverpool beat Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday, while Luis Diaz grabbed a brace as Bayern Munich sunk title-holders Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 in the French capital.

Premier League leaders Arsenal won 3-0 at Slavia Prague as rising star Max Dowman came off the bench to become the youngest player in the competition’s history, at just 15 years and 308 days old.

Leaders Bayern and second-placed Arsenal remain the only teams with a perfect record in the competition — alongside Inter Milan, who play their fourth match on Wednesday against Kazakh newcomers Kairat Almaty.

At Anfield, Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois produced a stellar performance to frustrate six-time champions Liverpool.

In a performance reminiscent of his match-defining display in the 2022 final against the same opposition — which the Spaniards won 1-0 — Courtois produced eight saves to keep back the hosts.

“He is a fantastic ‘keeper — we all know,” Mac Allister told Amazon Prime. “But today I think we were better and deserved to win.”

The Argentinian eventually broke Courtois’ resistance shortly after the hour with a header from a Dominik Szoboszlai free-kick in an encounter which saw former Liverpool hero Trent Alexander-Arnold return to his hometown amid a hail of boos when he emerged from the Madrid bench late on.

Arne Slot will be hoping the result marks a turning point for his side after they had come into the match with six defeats in their previous eight outings.

For previously unbeaten Madrid, it was first defeat in any competition since September’s 5-2 reversal at Atletico Madrid.

“It’s a tough blow to take because we came from a run of good games, but the important thing is to move forwards,” Real’s Fede Valverde told Movistar.

PSG welcomed Bayern to the Parc des Princes for a fixture which midfielder Vitinha had said would bring together “the two best teams in Europe”.

And it was the Bundesliga champions who emerged victorious as they made it 16 wins from 16 outings in all competitions this season.

“I know the Champions League winner is not decided now, otherwise PSG would not have won it last season,” Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said.

“But this was a very important three points.”

Summer signing Diaz claimed the headlines as he netted a brace before being sent off for a dangerous tackle on Achraf Hakimi, all in the opening 45 minutes.

Hakimi had to be helped from the field in tears, following recent Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele who came off after just 25 minutes.

Bayern took the lead inside five minutes and then overwhelmed PSG’s usually unflappable midfield and defence with their intense pressing game.

Diaz grabbed a second when he robbed Marquinhos of possession and slotted home after the half-hour.

His dismissal then changed the game as PSG fought back in the second period but Joao Neves’ 74th-minute header was not enough to stop the Ligue 1 champions falling to a first defeat in this year’s league phase.

Bayern, on the other hand, sit top with a perfect 12 points.

Arsenal lie just behind them after a Mikel Merino-inspired win in the Czech Republic earned them a fourth win from four.

The Spaniard netted twice in the second period to seal victory against Slavia Prague, after Bukayo Saka opened the scoring from 12 yards in the 32nd minute.

Another clean sheet meant Mikel Arteta’s side are still yet to concede in the competition this year.

“We are a very strong team, we are performing in an amazing way with a lot of clean sheets,” Merino said.

“But we know that this is just the beginning and we have to keep up this good work in the future to win big things.”

Elsewhere, Micky van de Ven scored a stunning solo effort as Europa League winners Tottenham won 4-0 at home to FC Copenhagen.

Atletico Madrid got back to winning ways following a heavy defeat to Arsenal last time out by seeing off Belgium’s Union Saint-Gilloise 3-1.

Serie A sides Napoli and Juventus both endured frustrating draws as the league champions played out a goalless stalemate at home to Eintracht Frankfurt and Sporting Lisbon held Juventus 1-1 — the Old Lady’s third draw so far this campaign.

Monaco earned a first win, 1-0 at debutants Bodo/Glimt of Norway, and PSV Eindhoven drew 1-1 at Olympiacos.

On Wednesday, Inter Milan will seek to rejoin Bayern and Arsenal atop the standings, while Manchester City host Borussia Dortmund and Athletic Bilbao travel to Newcastle’s St James’ Park. (JapanToday)

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PSG hit seven, Barcelona, Arsenal run riot as Champions League rains goals

Paris Saint-Germain scored seven and both Barcelona and PSV Eindhoven hit six in big victories while Arsenal crushed Atletico Madrid 4-0 on a prolific night of Champions League action on Tuesday.

Erling Haaland was among the scorers in Manchester City’s 2-0 win at Villarreal as a total of 43 goals rained down across nine games.

However, it was champions PSG who stole the show with their 7-2 win at Bayer Leverkusen in Germany.

Desire Doue scored twice in between goals by Willian Pacho and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for PSG in a first half which saw Alejandro Grimaldo miss a penalty and Aleix Garcia net from the spot for Leverkusen.

Both sides had a man sent off in the opening period, with Robert Andrich seeing red for Leverkusen and Illia Zabarnyi walking for the visitors.

Nuno Mendes got the French side’s fifth goal shortly after the break and Garcia pulled it back to 5-2.

Ousmane Dembele, on his return from injury and first appearance since winning the Ballon d’Or, got PSG’s sixth and Vitinha completed the scoring at the death.

“I am not yet at 100 percent. I wanted to play at the weekend and the coach told me to wait a bit, but I felt great,” Dembele told broadcaster Canal Plus.

It is the first time PSG have scored seven goals away from home in a Champions League game, and they are top of the standings after three outings in the league phase, with a maximum nine points and the best goal difference.

Inter Milan and Arsenal are the other teams with a 100 percent record after three outings, with the Italians easing to a 4-0 victory at Union Saint-Gilloise in Brussels.

Denzel Dumfries and Lautaro Martinez both netted late in the first half before Hakan Calhanoglu added a penalty soon after the restart and Pio Esposito completed the scoring.

Meanwhile Premier League leaders Arsenal hammered Atletico at the Emirates Stadium, as Mikel Arteta’s side made it three straight wins all with clean sheets in Europe this season.

All the goals came in the second half, with Gabriel putting them ahead and Gabriel Martinelli getting the second before Viktor Gyokeres struck twice to end a run of seven club appearances without finding the net.

“Hopefully it’s the start of some beautiful sequence now,” said Arteta of the Sweden striker.

Haaland put City ahead against Villarreal in Spain and Bernardo Silva got their second goal before half-time as Pep Guardiola’s team moved on to seven points from three outings.

Norway superstar Haaland kept up his remarkable record in front of goal this season and he has now found the net 15 times in 11 appearances for City in all competitions.

“I see that things are looking good, we are playing a little bit better day after day and that’s a good sign,” Guardiola told broadcaster Movistar.

Felix Nmecha hit a brace as Borussia Dortmund won 4-2 away to FC Copenhagen, with Ramy Bensebaini converting a penalty and Fabio Silva also scoring.

Waldemar Anton’s own goal had brought the Danes back level at one point in the first half, while Viktor Dadason got their other goal late on. They are yet to win in the league phase.

Beaten at home by PSG last time out, Barcelona bounced back to thump Olympiacos 6-1 at Montjuic as Fermin Lopez starred with a hat-trick.

Lamine Yamal got his name on the scoresheet with a penalty and Marcus Rashford scored twice, with Ayoub El Kaabi’s spot-kick scant consolation for the Greeks.

Newcastle United got their second straight win in the competition by easing to a 3-0 victory against Benfica at St James’ Park.

Anthony Gordon got the opener and Harvey Barnes emerged from the bench to score twice in the second half, leaving Jose Mourinho’s Benfica as the only team to have no points having played three games.

PSV claimed a stunning 6-2 home win against Italian champions Napoli, despite Scott McTominay giving the visitors the lead in the first half.

An Alessandro Buongiorno own goal restored parity and Ismael Saibari put PSV ahead before Dennis Man scored twice and both Ricardo Pepi and Couhaib Driouech also found the net.

McTominay pulled another one back for Napoli, who had Lorenzo Lucca sent off.

The night’s other game ended in a 0-0 draw between rank outsiders Kairat Almaty and Pafos of Cyprus in Kazakhstan. (JapanToday)

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PSG stuns Barcelona in Champions League; Man City held by Monaco

Title-holders Paris Saint-Germain came from behind to beat Barcelona 2-1 with a last-minute goal in the Champions League on Wednesday, while Manchester City had to settle for a draw in Monaco despite Erling Haaland’s double.

Elsewhere there were comfortable wins for Arsenal and Newcastle United, as Napoli and Borussia Dortmund were among the other teams to claim victories on the second matchday of the league phase.

The meeting at Montjuic of the Spanish champions and the reigning French and European champions was one of the most eagerly anticipated of the opening stages of this season’s competition.

It lived up to its billing, despite Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele missing out injured for an understrength PSG, with Lamine Yamal showing flashes of his brilliance for the hosts.

Barcelona went ahead in the 19th minute as a well-worked move ended with Marcus Rashford setting up Ferran Torres to score.

Senny Mayulu equalised late in the first half for PSG, and Achraf Hakimi set up substitute Goncalo Ramos to net a 90th-minute winner as PSG made it two victories from two outings in this season’s Champions League.

“It was a great game between two really good sides,” PSG coach Luis Enrique told Canal Plus. “It shows the strength and mentality of our side that whoever is on the field we play like a real team.”

Haaland scored twice in the first half to move to 52 career Champions League goals from 50 appearances, but 2023 tournament winners City were held 2-2 in Monaco.

Jordan Teze’s stunning hit in between Haaland’s strikes kept Monaco in the game until they won a late penalty as Nico Gonzalez was penalised following a VAR review for a high boot on Eric Dier.

Dier got up to convert from the spot and give Monaco their first point in the competition, denying City a second win from as many outings.

“I don’t know if it was a penalty but it was given. So that’s that,” City coach Pep Guardiola told TNT Sports. “It is what it is. We have a point and we will take it.”

Arsenal maintained their 100 percent record with a 2-0 defeat of Olympiakos in London, with Gabriel Martinelli following in to score a 12th-minute opener after a Viktor Gyokeres attempt hit the post.

The Gunners sealed the points in stoppage time as substitute Bukayo Saka scored with a shot that squirmed under Greek goalkeeper Kostas Tzolakis.

“Winning in the Champions League is always very complicated. It is yet another clean sheet for the boys in the competition, which is remarkable,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said.

Earlier, Newcastle got their campaign up and running by cruising to a 4-0 victory over Belgian champions Union Saint-Gilloise in Brussels.

Nick Woltemade diverted a Sandro Tonali shot into the net for the opener, his third goal in four starts for the club.

Anthony Gordon then scored two penalties, either side of half-time, before substitute Harvey Barnes wrapped up the success late on.

Dortmund were also impressive winners, as the beaten 2024 finalists tore into Athletic Bilbao, winning 4-1.

Daniel Svensson put them ahead in the first half and Carney Chukwuemeka made it two soon after the interval.

Gorka Guruzeta got one back for Athletic, but Serhou Guirassy and Julian Brandt sealed a fine win for the German club.

In southern Italy, Rasmus Hojlund bagged a brace as Napoli claimed their maiden European victory this season, beating Sporting 2-1. Luis Suarez had equalised for the Portuguese champions at one point in the second half with a penalty.

Juventus, who drew 4-4 with Dortmund in a thriller in their opening game, played out a 2-2 stalemate with Villarreal in Spain.

Georges Mikautadze gave the hosts the lead, only for Federico Gatti to equalise with an overhead kick before Chico Conceicao gave the Italians the advantage.

But Renato Veiga, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Juventus from Chelsea, headed in to earn Villarreal a draw.

Bayer Leverkusen and PSV Eindhoven drew 1-1 in Germany, with Christian Kofane giving the hosts the lead only for Ismael Saibari to equalise for the Dutch side.

Qarabag are the sensation of the competition so far, the club from Azerbaijan following a win over Benfica two weeks ago by beating FC Copenhagen 2-0 in Baku.Abdellah Zoubir and Emmanuel Addai got their goals and Qarabag are one of six teams on six points, along with Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, PSG, Inter Milan and Arsenal. (JapanToday)

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Ballon d’Or 2025: Ousmane Dembele and Aitana Bonmati win top prizes as Sarina Wiegman lands award for best coach

Ousmane Dembele and Aitana Bonmati were crowned the best men’s and women’s player in the world at the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris.

Dembele, the Paris Saint-Germain and France forward, took the men’s prize after leading his club to a treble-winning season and their first Champions League success. Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal,18, was runner-up after being voted the best young player.

A tearful Dembele collected the prize in Paris in front of a partisan crowd that chanted his name. If not for injury, he would have been playing for PSG in Marseille in a rearranged league fixture.

Barcelona and Spain midfielder Bonmati becomes the first woman to win the Ballon d’Or for three consecutive years. Lionel Messi and Michel Platini are the only men to have achieved that feat.

“It’s incredible this feeling. I never thought when I was a kid that I could achieve this because I didn’t think women’s football can exist,” Bonmati said.

“I had idols like Andres Iniesta and Xavi and when I was a kid I only saw them on TV. It’s incredible to be here and make history.

“But all of these trophies are because of collective work. We had a difficult season because we won some trophies, but we also lost some to amazing footballers.”

Arsenal and England’s Alessia Russo got the better of Bonmati in the Champions League and Euros finals, but finished third in the women’s rankings. Her club-mate, Mariona Caldentey of Spain, came second.

Lionesses head coach Sarina Wiegman was named best women’s coach after England’s triumph over Spain in Switzerland, while PSG boss Luis Enrique picked up the men’s Johan Cruyff award.

England and Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton won the inaugural award for best women’s goalkeeper, with Man City’s Gianluigi Donnarumma picking up the seventh edition of the men’s prize for his season with PSG.

Former Lionesses keeper Mary Earps was on stage presenting the award to Hampton, who took her spot as England’s No 1 ahead of the Euros, prompting her to retire from international football five weeks before the tournament.

Arsenal and PSG won the awards for women’s and men’s club of the year after their Champions League successes.

Viktor Gyokeres’ 63 goals for Sporting and Sweden last season earned him the men’s Gerd Muller Trophy. Barcelona and Poland’s Ewa Pajor, scorer of 48 goals, scooped the women’s award. (SkySports)

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PSG cruises, Liverpool wins late yet again, Bayern and Inter also start well in Champions League


Title holder Paris Saint-Germain roared to victory in the Champions League on Wednesday, and Liverpool found yet another late winning goal in its stunning start to the season.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk soared to score with a header in the second minute of stoppage time to seal a 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid when it seemed his team was going to waste a two-goal lead seized after just six minutes.

Bayern Munich and Inter Milan both won rematches of past finals — against Chelsea and Ajax, respectively — to start their eight-game league-phase programs, and newcomers Bodo/Glimt and Pafos impressed with hard-earned draws on the road.

PSG cruised to a 4-0 win at home over Atalanta and had the luxury of a penalty miss by Bradley Barcola not mattering much in the end.

“It’s a joy to see such a performance. I think our fans can be happy,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said.

Liverpool seemed to be sailing with early goals from Andy Robertson and a typically fine strike by Mohamed Salah but was pegged back by Marcos Llorente’s goals in first-half stoppage time and the 81st.

Llorente also scored twice at Anfield in 2020 when Atletico eliminated the then-defending champion in the round of 16.

Bayern held off Chelsea 3-1 with two goals from Harry Kane, whose England teammate Cole Palmer scored an impressive goal for the visitors. It was a very belated revenge for Bayern losing the 2012 final to Chelsea in its home stadium.

Inter got two powerful headed goals from Marcus Thuram in its 2-0 win at Ajax, which beat the Italians in the 1972 European Cup final.

Norway’s champion Bodo/Glimt had a second-half penalty kick saved and trailed by two goals late at Slavia Prague, before rallying to level at 2-2 in the 90th.

Pafos grinded out a 0-0 draw at Olympiakos after playing with 10 men from the 26th minute. Journeyman Brazilian midfielder Bruno Felipe was sent off for a second yellow-card foul.

Russian-owned Pafos is the first Cypriot team in the Champions League main phase since 2017, and Bodo/Glimt ended Norway’s 18-year absence.

The Ballon d’Or trophy is surely staying in Paris after the annual awards ceremony in the city on Monday.

PSG has campaigned for its currently injured striker Ousmane Dembélé to get the prize for his standout season, though full-backs Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi also would be worthy winners.

Both were attacking threats against Atalanta — which is adapting to life without inspirational coach Gian Piero Gasperini, now at Roma — and Mendes scored in the 51st to make the score 3-0.

The standout goal was Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s rising shot after a dancing run minutes before halftime.

Liverpool has won all four of its Premier League games this season with winning goals after the 80th minute, and twice in the last minute of stoppage time.

So when Atletico Madrid leveled late at Anfield, there was ample time for coach Arne Slot’s team to find the goal it needed. Dominik Szoboszlai swung in a corner from the right, and Virgil van Dijk wrestled away from his marker and steered a strong header back inside the near post.

Slot acknowledged “we should have made it easier for ourselves.”

The new kids on the Champions League block are fast learners.

Three of the four debutants — an unusually high number this season — have played so far, all on the road and all are unbeaten. Belgian champion Union Saint-Gilloise started it Tuesday winning 3-1 at PSV Eindhoven.

Bodo/Glimt and Pafos did not panic when events went against them Wednesday.

The champion of Norway trailed by two goals at Slavia Prague, having had Kasper Høgh’s 54th-minute penalty kick saved, before cutting the deficit in the 78th.

A stunning volley in the 90th by substitute Sondre Brunstad Fet rattled the crossbar and bounced down over the goalline to earn a point preserved by goalkeeper Nikita Haikin’s smart save deep in stoppage time.

Pafos lost both of its Brazilian veterans before halftime, with 38-year-old David Luiz lasting just 33 minutes before going off injured in his first start for the club.

The fourth debutant, Kairat Almaty, plays Thursday at Sporting Lisbon. That meant a 7,000-kilometer (4,350-mile) trip for players and fans from eastern Kazakhstan across four time zones to Portugal’s capital — one of the longest possible in European soccer.

The Champions League stretches into a third day just for the opening round which is completed Thursday with six more games, including 2023 winner Manchester City welcoming back Kevin De Bruyne with Napoli. Barcelona goes to Newcastle without the injured Lamine Yamal.

A stoppage-time comeback by Juventus to draw 4-4 with Borussia Dortmund was the standout game of the first six played Tuesday while Kylian Mbappé converted two penalties and 10-man Real Madrid came back to beat visiting Marseille 2-1. (JapanToday)

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Rasheedat Ajibade signs for Paris Saint-Germain until 2027

Paris Saint-Germain have strengthened their forward line with the signing of Nigerian international Rasheedat Ajibade.

Announcing the signing in its blog post on Tuesday, PSG said Ajibade’s contract will run until 30 June 2027.

The Club said, “Paris Saint-Germain is delighted to announce the arrival of Nigerian striker Rasheedat Busayo Ajibade, who has joined the club on a deal that runs until 30th June 2027.”

The 25-year-old, born on 8 December 1999 in the Mushin district of Lagos, arrives from Atlético de Madrid, where she has played since 2021 after a two-year spell in Norway with Avaldsnes IL.

In the 2024–25 season, Ajibade made 25 appearances, scoring eight goals and supplying three assists.

She was crowned as Nigeria’s NFF Young Player of the Year in 2018 after emerging from FC Robo Queens.

As captain of Nigeria, Ajibade has twice led the Super Falcons to continental glory at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, having done so in 2018 and in 2024.

The forward also featured as a regular starter for her side at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, and, with over 30 caps under her belt already, now represents a central figure in Nigerian football.

Commenting on the deal, Ajibade said, “I’m deeply honoured to be joining Paris Saint-Germain, a top-drawer club in Europe.

“This is a major step for me, and I’m committed to giving my all to help PSG win titles and to inspire young footballers, be they in Nigeria or elsewhere.” (Punch)

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UEFA Super Cup: Spurs downed in PSG fightback, lost 4–3 on penalties

Tottenham Hotspur, on Wednesday night, lost the 2025 UEFA Super Cup in dramatic fashion, losing Paris Saint-Germain 4–3 on penalties after a pulsating 2–2 draw at the Stadio Friuli.

Thomas Frank’s side appeared to be cruising toward victory when goals from Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero put them 2–0 ahead, only for PSG to mount a stunning late comeback through Lee Kang-in and Gonçalo Ramos.

Spurs struck first just before halftime, Van de Ven reacting quickest amid a goalmouth scramble to fire past debutant PSG goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier.

Romero then doubled the advantage early in the second half, towering above the defence to nod home following a poorly handled cross.

PSG looked beaten until the closing minutes, when Lee Kang-in’s precise 85th-minute finish breathed life into Luis Enrique’s side.

In the fourth minute of stoppage time, Ramos pounced inside the box to level, sparking wild celebrations among the Parisian fans.

Under UEFA rules, the match skipped extra time and went straight to penalties.

Tottenham kept their composure, with Solanke, Bentancur and Dembélé finding the net, while goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario made the decisive save to deny Mathys Tel. (Punch)

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Palmer stars as Chelsea stun PSG to win Club World Cup final

Cole Palmer scored two goals and made another as Chelsea stunned Paris Saint-Germain in the final of the Club World Cup on Sunday, beating the European champions 3-0 at the MetLife Stadium to win the first edition of FIFA’s new competition.

PSG were the favourites for a game attended by Donald Trump after coming to the United States fresh from winning the UEFA Champions League and having destroyed Real Madrid 4-0 in the semi-finals.

But having been three goals ahead midway through the first half in the semis, this time the roles were reversed as PSG found themselves 3-0 down by the break.

Palmer opened the scoring midway through the first half and struck again to make it two on the half-hour mark, before taking advantage of passive defending to set up Joao Pedro for the third on 43 minutes.

A bad day for PSG was summed up when Joao Neves was shown red following a VAR review four minutes from the end for pulling Marc Cucurella by the hair off the ball.

It was a scoreline that few could have predicted as Chelsea capped what has been a long but memorable season — they are the first ever winners of the 32-team Club World Cup having also won the UEFA Conference League and finished fourth in the Premier League.

They will also take away around $125 million in prize money, meaning the prospect of a drastically curtailed summer break before returning for next season will surely feel worth it.

For PSG, meanwhile, the financial rewards are similar but there will be genuine disappointment at falling short of adding this title to their Champions League triumph and French league and cup double.

Nevertheless, conquering Europe was always the main aim this season for Luis Enrique’s team, who now have exactly a month to digest this and take a holiday before returning to action in the UEFA Super Cup against Tottenham Hotspur.

There was a real sense of occasion at the MetLife Stadium, with the backdrop of the Manhattan skyline and with President Trump in attendance along with First Lady Melania Trump in a crowd of 81,118.

There was even the first-ever half-time show at a FIFA tournament, adding a Super Bowl feel to a final played at the home of NFL sides the New York Giants and New York Jets.

As for the football, for the second time in six weeks PSG found themselves involved in a final that quickly turned into a one-sided affair.

The club claimed a historic 5-0 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League final, but here they were ripped apart by Chelsea on another hot afternoon.

Palmer almost put Chelsea ahead inside the opening 10 minutes, before PSG should have scored at the other end only for Desire Doue to try to pass to Achraf Hakimi rather than shoot inside the box, allowing Cucurella to block.

It was Chelsea who struck in the 22nd minute as Malo Gusto got the better of Nuno Mendes down the right before seeing his shot blocked by Lucas Beraldo. The ball came back to Gusto and he teed up Palmer to finish into the bottom-left corner.

Palmer has been the face of Chelsea on billboards in the United States during the tournament and he lived up to his star billing by scoring again on the half-hour. (Punch)

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Club World Cup: PSG cruise past Atletico to win opener

Newly crowned European Champions Paris Saint-Germain launched their bid for Club World Cup glory with a convincing 4-0 victory over Atletico Madrid on Sunday.

In searing heat at the Pasadena Rose Bowl east of Los Angeles, PSG proved too hot to handle for their Spanish opponents in an impressive opening Group B win.

Goals from Fabian Ruiz, Vitinha, Senny Mayulu and Lee Kang-In sealed the three points for PSG, who delighted a crowd of 80,619 with their adventurous attacking play.

The French giants picked up where they had left off in their 5-0 Champions League final mauling of Inter Milan a fortnight earlier, quickly settling into their smooth passing game to control the early exchanges.

Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak was soon pressed into action, blocking a Goncalo Ramos shot from just outside the box on 17 minutes as PSG’s pressure mounted.

Oblak denied PSG again moments later, diving to stop a Khvicha Kvaratskhelia shot that was destined for the bottom left-hand corner.

Those early warning shots proved to be a precursor for the game’s opening goal in the 19th minute.

A lovely passing move down the right saw the ball swiftly transferred to Georgian winger Kvaratskhelia who deftly laid off into the path of Ruiz to sweep in a low finish for 1-0.

With Atletico struggling to gain any kind of a foothold in the contest, the Spanish side’s frustration began to show.

Clement Lenglet was booked for a rash challenge on Moroccan international Achraf Hakimi in the 21st minute, and Robin Le Normand picked up Atletico’s second yellow soon afterwards for bringing down Ruiz.

Ruiz himself was booked on 28 minutes for a shove on Giuliano Simeone before the Argentine midfielder collected Atletico’s third yellow soon afterwards.

With the Parisians in complete control, Atletico had to wait until the stroke of half-time before their first shot on goal, France’s Antoine Griezmann drawing a smart save from Italy international Gianluigi Donnarumma with a low shot.

From the ensuing counter-attack, however, Atletico found themselves 2-0 down.

The electric Kvaratskhelia again found space down the left and fed inside to Vitinha, who ghosted into the box before steering a crisp shot beyond Oblak for 2-0.

Atletico appeared to have hauled themselves back into the game early in the second half when Julian Alvarez rifled home a low finish to make it 2-1.

But the goal was chalked off after VAR spotted a bodycheck by Argentine midfielder Rodrigo De Paul on Desire Doue in the build-up.

That effort appeared to buoy Atletico for the remainder of the half, but despite playing with greater intensity they were unable to create a single shot on goal.

Lenglet was dismissed after picking up a second yellow card on 78 minutes. (Punch)