Paris return to winning ways and finish top of the group!
At the end of a one-sided match against a determined but helpless American side, Paris Saint-Germain secured their ticket for the Round of 16 of the Club World Cup on Monday afternoon on the Seattle Sounders’ home turf. A look back at a victory that secures the top spot in the group for our Rouge et Bleu.
A few days after their defeat to Botafogo (0–1), Paris Saint-Germain traveled once again to the west of the United States, this time to Seattle, determined to bounce back on Matchday 3 and the final game of the group stage. Against the home side, Sounders FC, Luis Enrique opted for a central defensive pairing of captain Marquinhos and Willian Pacho, in front of goalkeeper Gigio Donnarumma. Achraf Hakimi started at right-back, with Nuno Mendes on the opposite flank. In midfield, Vitinha sat just behind João Neves and Fabián Ruiz, while Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia played on the wings, supporting Senny Mayulu up front.
In front of the 50,000 spectators at Lumen Field, the Rouge et Bleu kicked off the match. From the opening moments, the Seattle side came out strong, showing relentless commitment at every turn. But it was the club from the capital that created the first real chance of the opening 15 minutes, with Désiré Doué unleashing a powerful shot from inside the box, forcing a save from Stefan Frei (12’). As the minutes passed, Paris began to take control of the game, pushing higher up the pitch, despite a scare near their own goal in the 19th minute.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was particularly active down his left flank and tried to break through the opposition's defence that was both compact and disciplined. As expected, the Parisians would need to show patience and creativity to find an opening. And in that department, who better than Désiré Doué to lead the way, carving out space near the edge of the box and linking up with Senny Mayulu, before the Paris No. 14 was once again denied by the American goalkeeper (30’). But there was nothing the keeper could do just minutes later, when Kvaratskhelia got in the way of Vitinha’s shot and, with a touch of luck, diverted it into the net to give the Rouge et Bleu the lead (0–1, 35’)!
The visitors kept pouring forward with wave after wave of attacks on the Sounders’ goal, and Achraf Hakimi narrowly missed a chance to double the lead after a brilliant one-two with Désiré Doué (45’). The second half confirmed the club from the capital’s dominance, with Doué once again involved, this time getting on the end of a fine cross from Fabián Ruiz, though unable to extend the lead (56’). Moments later, it was João Neves’ turn to make his presence felt in the Seattle box, connecting with a well-delivered cross from Hakimi, but the Portuguese international couldn’t find the target with his effort (59’).
Overwhelmed by the control and counter-pressing of Luis Enrique’s men, the MLS side remained pinned in their own half, desperately waiting for a chance to break into the final third of the pitch. But just as the hosts finally managed to push out of their half, the club from the capital struck ruthlessly, taking advantage of one of the few spaces left open to score a second goal from a perfectly executed counterattack. At the heart of the move once again was Désiré Doué, who picked out substitute Bradley Barcola with a perfectly-weighted pass down the left wing. The French international then delivered a pinpoint ball across goal for Achraf Hakimi, who finished unmarked at the far post (0–2, 66’)! With their backs against the wall, Seattle had no choice but to open up as they attempted to cut the deficit.
Yet it was the Parisians who came closest to scoring a third, as Cameroonian international Nouhou Tolo came to the rescue for his side with a goal-line clearance to deny Warren Zaïre-Emery (85’). Cristian Roldan then tried to spark a late response for Brian Schmetzer’s team, but the American international’s shot drifted wide of Gianluigi Donnarumma's goal, leaving the Italian keeper untested throughout the match (89’). At the end of a thoroughly controlled performance, Paris Saint-Germain secured a well-deserved victory over Seattle, booking their place in the Round of 16, and clinching top spot in the group ahead of Botafogo. The Rouge et Bleu will learn the identity of their next opponent in the coming hours, before heading to Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium this Sunday 29 June, with kick-off scheduled for 18:00 French time.