The Club World Cup finally comes to an end. After 62 matches filled with excitement, suffering, and surprises, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain will be the teams to decide this renewed tournament.
Chelsea had a tournament in which it improved as it progressed. Despite being the favorite, in Group D it finished second with 6 points behind Flamengo, with whom it lost 3-1 on the second matchday. Although it achieved victories against LAFC (2-0) and Esperance ST (3-0), these were not worthy opponents to compare its level.
In the knockout stages, the Blues finally rediscovered the level that led them to become Conference League champions. In the round of 16 they thrashed Benfica with a convincing 4-1, after having drawn 1-1 in regulation time. Later, in the quarterfinals they would once again face a Brazilian team, Palmeiras, but the story was different, as they managed to win 2-1 with great dominance throughout most of the match.
4-1 al Benfica en octavos y 2-1 al Palmeiras en cuartos
In their last match in the semifinals, Enzo Maresca's team overpowered a Fluminense that arrived with hopes of extending its historic run in the tournament. With 2 goals from Joao Pedro, a former Flu player, it was enough to secure their place in the grand final.
Joao Pedro brilló ante su ex equipo
Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain was overwhelming from start to finish, except for an unexpected setback in the first stage. The reigning Champions League champion finished first in Group B with 6 points, thanks to a 4-0 win over Atlético Madrid, a 2-0 victory against Seattle Sounders, and a surprising 1-0 defeat to Botafogo.
In the knockout phase, Luis Enrique's team would show why they are the best team at the moment. First, they would destroy Inter Miami led by Lionel Messi in the round of 16 with 4 goals in the first half alone. Then in the quarterfinals they would assert their authority against Bayern Munich with a 2-0 win, scoring a goal with two players down.
4-0 al Inter Miami en octavos y 2-0 al Bayern en cuartos
Finally, in their most recent match they completely outclassed Real Madrid. With a superb performance from their forwards, the French team would crush the Merengues 4-0; however, given how the match unfolded, there could have been many more goals.
El PSG aniquiló al Real Madrid
As for the head-to-head record, PSG leads with 3 victories, compared to Chelsea's 2, while they have drawn on 3 other occasions. The last match between the two was 9 years ago, in the second leg of the 2015/2016 Champions League round of 16. Back then, the Parisian team won 2-1 at Stamford Bridge, with goals from Adrien Rabiot and Zlatan Ibrahimović for the visitors, and Diego Costa for the home side.
El último partido entre ambos lo ganó el PSG
Chelsea vs PSG: Time and TV
The Club World Cup final between the Blues and Les Parisiens will take place this Sunday the 13th starting at 16:00 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The match will be broadcast by DSports, Telefé, Disney+ Premium, and DAZN, the latter completely free of charge on its official website.
Possible Lineups
Chelsea (4-3-3):
Goalkeeper: Robert Sánchez
Defenders: Malo Gusto, Tosin Adarabioyo, Trevo Chalobah, and Marc Cucurella
Midfielders: Christopher Nkunku, Moisés Caicedo, and Enzo Fernández
Forwards: Pedro Neto, Cole Palmer, and João Pedro
Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3):
Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Donnarumma
Defenders: Nuno Mendes, Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, and Lucas Beraldo
Midfielders: Vitinha, Joao Neves, and Fabián Ruiz
Forwards: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doué, and Ousmane Dembélé
