Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) has secured a spot in the Club World Cup semi-finals, defeating Bayern Munich 2-0 in a hard-fought match on Saturday, despite finishing with nine men. Goals from Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele sealed the victory for the European champions in Atlanta.
The gripping encounter saw PSG’s Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernandez sent off in the closing stages. Meanwhile, Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich suffered a significant blow just before halftime when star midfielder Jamal Musiala sustained a severe ankle injury after a collision with PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
This intense battle marked a turning point in the recent rivalry, as Bayern had previously won their last four matches against PSG. The game, a highly anticipated clash between two high-pressing, attacking sides, was played in perfect conditions at the air-conditioned Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Before kick-off, players and nearly 67,000 spectators observed a minute of silence in tribute to Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, who tragically died in a car crash on Thursday. This was a particularly emotional moment for PSG, which fields five Portuguese players.
After an evenly contested first half with chances for both sides and excellent saves from Donnarumma and Manuel Neuer, the breakthrough came in the 70th minute when 20-year-old Doue fired home from the edge of the box after Harry Kane lost possession. Despite PSG being reduced to ten men in the 83rd minute (Pacho’s red card) and later nine (Hernandez’s red card), Dembele sealed the win with a late goal, paying tribute to Diogo Jota with his celebration.
PSG is now set to face the winner of the Real Madrid vs. Borussia Dortmund match in the semi-finals on Wednesday at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
