The stage is set. Paris Saint-Germain will do battle with Chelsea FC at New York New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on Sunday in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™, with the winners to be crowned club world champions.
Although you have to rewind back to March 2016 for the last time that PSG and Chelsea went head-to-head, this weekend’s tantalising tussle on US soil is sure to have a more recent deja vu feel about it. That is because the Parisians’ triumphant 2024/25 UEFA Champions League campaign had a distinctly English flavour in terms of the opposition that they faced. On the road to Munich, Luis Enrique’s charges pitted their wits against the four teams that flew the flag for the English top tier. The Ligue 1 titans prevailed over the quartet, ousting three of them from the competition in the process.
City clash marks turning point
When PSG entertained Manchester City in the league phase of the continental showpiece back in January, they were languishing well off the pace, and the encounter was a must-win match. Luis Enrique’s troops had been suffering from a problem that had hamstrung them since the start of the season: for all of their intricate build-up play, they were failing to convert their chances. The pressure was very much on as Pep Guardiola’s star-studded City squad rolled into town. A rain-soaked Parc des Princes fell to a deafening silence when the visitors broke the deadlock against the run of play, with Jack Grealish lashing the ball home in the 50th minute. Just moments later, Erling Haaland piled on the misery when he doubled the visitors’ advantage from point-blank range.
While many teams would have crumbled, this PSG crop were about to prove they are made of sterner stuff. In the space of four minutes, they clawed themselves level. Things got even better for the home side when Joao Neves stooped to conquer, heading home Vitinha’s inch-perfect free-kick to put the Parisians in pole position with 78 minutes on the clock. Goncalo Ramos then added gloss to the scoreline with a clinical finish in stoppage time.
“The Manchester City game in the Champions League was the turning point,” Senny Mayulu told FIFA following Wednesday’s Club World Cup semi-final romp over Real Madrid C. F. “We really grasped the game plan, which put us at ease. Everything clicked in that match and, ever since, we’ve gone from strength to strength.”
After waltzing into the last 16 courtesy of a thumping 10-0 aggregate rout of fellow Ligue 1 side Brest in the knockout-phase play-offs, PSG were handed a tricky tie against Liverpool, who were in fine form having topped the standings in the league phase. To make PSG’s task more daunting, they faced the unenviable prospect of having to travel to Anfield for the return leg.
Statement win in Liverpool
The Parc des Princes played host to the first instalment of the tie on a night when familiar failings came back to haunt PSG. The home side bossed proceedings from start to finish but were dealt a sucker-punch in the 87th minute, when substitute Harvey Elliott slotted home a slide-rule finish with his very first touch. On a hugely deflating night, the Ligue 1 side were victims of a smash-and-grab masterclass.
Reflecting on the contest, the two coaches echoed each other’s thoughts. “That was terribly unfair on us,” said Luis Enrique, before adding: “In this game, you’ve got to put your chances away.” His Liverpool counterpart, Arne Slot, admitted: “I think if we had [got] a draw over here, we already would have been the lucky one. I think they were the much better team.”
PSG harnessed that sense of injustice to fuel their quest to turn the tie on its head at Liverpool’s iconic home. Ousmane Dembele opened the scoring in the 12th minute after the Merseyside men had come blasting out of the blocks, and the visitors held firm before keeping their nerve to prevail 4-1 in a penalty shoot-out. “I’m pleased because we showed that we’re a real team out there,” declared Luis Enrique after seeing his side clinch a hard-fought victory.
Villa defeated as PSG forced to hold firm
Following the eye-catching success over Liverpool, the men from the Parc des Princes headed into their last-eight contest against Aston Villa as favourites. The PSG players lived up to the hype by easing to a 3-1 comeback win in the first leg after Unai Emery’s visitors had hit the front in the 35th minute.
When the teams renewed acquaintances at Villa Park, the French side’s character once again came to the fore, despite previous failings almost managing to derail their campaign. The capital club were two goals to the good inside the opening half hour and looked to be cruising into the last four. However, Villa clearly hadn’t read the script.
The Premier League outfit staged a stirring comeback to establish a 3-2 lead on the night, but they ultimately failed to find the goal that would have forced extra time, a scenario that looked virtually impossible for most of the evening. That lucky escape acted as a timely wake-up call for Luis Enrique’s men. “We were too complacent. We thought it was job done and that we were already in the next round,” admitted Dembele.
Arsenal ousted in impressive fashion
In the semi-final showdown against PSG’s fourth English opponents of the campaign, they proved that they had come of age following the close shave against Villa. Luis Enrique’s men approached the tie against the Gunners knowing that they would have home comforts to look forward to in the second leg. The visitors arrived in North London intent on bursting Arsenal’s bubble, and they did just that to claim a 1-0 first-leg advantage.
In similar scenes to their assignment at Anfield, Dembele struck early – with barely three minutes played – to stun the majority of those inside Emirates Stadium. PSG held on to their lead to once again prove themselves to be a highly adaptable unit that is equally impressive at both ends of the pitch. “We showed the sort of mentality that I love to see as a coach,” said Luis Enrique after his side’s assured away performance.
In the return clash, played at a rocking Parc des Princes, PSG completed the job courtesy of a
2-1 win that secured their spot in the tournament decider. Then, with the continental crown up for grabs, the Ligue 1 heavyweights delivered a devastating display to swat FC Internazionale Milano aside in a 5-0 mauling.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal were the latest English challengers who found themselves helpless to halt the French capital club’s march to Champions League glory. And on the evidence of their stateside showings, the Parisians are determined to keep the good times rolling. PSG have made a habit of dishing out defeats to English sides and would appear to have saved enough room to devour the last part of their five-course feast when they take to the table at MetLife.
