Paris into the semi-finals!
Men's football•
Paris Saint-Germain are into the last four of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 after a dramatic quarter-final final win (2-0) over Bayern Munich in Atlanta, USA, on Saturday.
Six days after the 4-0 win over Inter Miami CF that earned them a place in the last eight, Paris Saint-Germain were back in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a clear goal: keep their adventure going. Luis Enrique chose the same starting XI as in the Round of 16 with captain Marquinhos and Willian Pacho in central defence in front of Gianluigi Donnarumma. Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes were on the flanks, Vitinha, João Neves and Fabian Ruiz in midfield with Bradley Barcola and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the wide positions up top with Désiré Doué central.
After a solemn tribute to Diogo Jota and André Silva, the Parisiens and Bavarians, both wearing black armbands, went toe-to-toe in a gripping first half. Doué sent an early shot just wide (3') before Michael Olise replied (6'). Harry Kane headed wide from near the penalty spot (16') and - after a fine team move - Hakimi crossed for Kvaratskhelia, who wasn't able to get his effort on target (19'). Doué pulled an inviting ball back for Ruiz, who missed the target (22'), and Joshua Kimmich then teed up Olise for a powerful angled shot that Donnarumma saved well (27').
A solo Kvaratskhelia slalom brought the best out of Manuel Neuer (31') before Kane zipped a header just over the crossbar from Kingsley Coman's cross (38') while Sacha Boey's shot suffered the same fate (40'). Donnarumma prevented Musiala from getting to a Pavlović cross (41') before Dayot Upamecano thought he had given Bayern the lead - VAR ruled out the goal for offside (45+1'). Bayern then suffered a blow as Musiala was forced off with an injury sustained in a challenge with Donnarumma (45+3').
The second half was just as entertaining and evenly balanced for the crowd of 66,937 (including some of the Supporters Club Atlanta). Kvaratskhelia put Barcola through to face Neuer, but the Bayern captain came out on top (49'). Donnarumma then was called on to keep out shots from Coman (53') and Olise (61') before the latter pulled an effort wide (65'). Helped by Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembélé, who had only just come off the bench, robbed Neuer but saw his effort roll just the wrong side of the post with the goal gaping (74'). After a superb move, Hakimi picked out Neves, who then found Doué. From just outside the penalty area, the Parisian number 14 wrong-footed Neuer as he drilled a shot into the net at the near post to open the scoring (1-0, 78').
Pacho was then sent off for a foul on Goretzka (82') and Kane thought he had equalised only to be ruled offside (87'). Against his former club, Lucas Hernández was then dismissed (90+2') and Goretzka sent a header over from a corner as Bayern battled (90+4'). But in added time, our nine warriors ended their opponents' hopes. Dembélé smashed a shot off the crossbar (90+6') before Hakimi went past three defenders on the Paris right and picked out the Parisian number 10, who fired across Neuer and into the net to clinch the win (2-0, 90+6')!
Luis Enrique and his men will now prepare for the semi-final on Wednesday 9 July (9pm CEST, 3pm local) in New Jersey where they will face the winner of the Borussia Dortmund-Real Madrid CF quarter-final.
