Vincent Kompany said he would have gladly “paid to watch the Bayern Munich v PSG quarter-final”, given the high level of football on show. So what must Luis Enrique and Xabi Alonso be thinking as they prepare to go head-to-head in a mouthwatering FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ semi-final between Real Madrid C.F. and Paris Saint-Germain?
Both sides are coming off epic performances in the quarter-finals, PSG having knocked out FC Bayern München 2-0 and Real edging Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in a thrilling encounter with a flurry of goals at the finish.
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It sets the stage for a classic semi-final between the reigning European champions and their Spanish opponents, who themselves can boast 15 continental titles, including in 2024. Predicting the outcome will be no easy task.
“I saw the PSG-Bayern Munich match, and I think PSG are in outstanding form right now,” said Dortmund forward Julian Brandt following his team’s defeat to Real. As for the Spaniards, “It’s hard to say whether we’ve faced the future world champions,” the Germany international added.
“PSG are a very, very tough team to play against,” Real defender Antonio Rudiger told FIFA. “They’ve shown they’re one of the best teams in Europe, so it’ll be a hard match. But we’re Real Madrid and we’re ready for the challenge.”
The last time these two sides met was in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 in 2022, with Real Madrid winning 3-2 on aggregate before going on to lift their 14th European title. But Real are yet to face this new-look PSG. Only Trent Alexander-Arnold, who joined Los Blancos in May, has recently faced Luis Enrique’s side, coming in this past season’s UEFA Champions League Round of 16, a tie his former club Liverpool lost on penalties 4-1, after drawing 1-1 a.e.t.
“I played against PSG this season and they were exceptional,” recalled the Englishman in a FIFA interview. “Of course, it’ll be a tough game. Both teams have earned their place in the semi-finals, but in the knockout stages anything can happen. We’re going to go back now, recover, work hard and get ready for a tough match. May the best team win!”
Having impressed with a standout performance and well-taken goal against Dortmund, Fran Garcia is also expecting a tight battle between two sides in prolific scoring form. Real Madrid have netted 11 goals in the tournament so far; PSG 12, and both teams have been boosted by the return of their star strikers, with Ousmane Dembele and Kylian Mbappe both scoring in the quarter-finals.
“PSG have already proved how good they are, both domestically and in the Champions League,” said the 25-year-old Spaniard, who was named Michelob Ultra Superior Player of the Match against Dortmund. “They have been contenders for the Club World Cup from the start. I think our wingers need to be ready to shut theirs down and make life difficult for them. But in the end, they should be wary of us too. For me, Real Madrid are still the best team. Now it’s up to us to prove that on the pitch, where it matters.”
The former Rayo Vallecano man allowed himself to look ahead to the final on 13 July, to be held at MetLife Stadium, the venue where Real saw off Borussia Dortmund.
“I don’t think it’s hard for us [to imagine becoming world champions], considering the standards we’re held to every day in Madrid,” he added. “We have to stay focused and keep building on the progress we’ve made since coach Alonso arrived. We’re putting the work in, and little by little you can see that shift in mentality.”
