Paris Saint-Germain booked their place in the Club World Cup semi-finals with a hard-fought 2-0 win over Bayern Munich on Saturday, in a high-octane contest played out before nearly 67,000 fans at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele struck late goals for the nine-man European champions, who had Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernandez sent off in a fiery finish to an emotionally charged encounter.
The match began with a poignant minute of silence in memory of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, who tragically lost their lives in a car accident two days prior. The moment was especially heartfelt for PSG, who have five Portuguese players in their ranks.
Bayern, unbeaten in their last four meetings with PSG, including a 1-0 Champions League win last November, started brightly but were dealt a huge blow when Jamal Musiala suffered a horrific ankle injury late in the first half. The young German star collided awkwardly with PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and had to be stretchered off, leaving both teams visibly shaken.
End-to-End Drama in Atlanta
The clash lived up to its billing as the tournament’s standout fixture so far. Bayern’s Michael Olise and PSG’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia came close in the opening stages, while both goalkeepers, Donnarumma and Bayern’s veteran Manuel Neuer, made superb saves to keep the game goalless.
A disallowed header from Dayot Upamecano just before halftime and a close-range effort from England captain Harry Kane kept the tension high as both sides sought the breakthrough.
Luis Enrique introduced Ballon d’Or contender Ousmane Dembele midway through the second half, and the French winger nearly capitalized on a Neuer error, only to see his attempt trickle inches wide.
Late Goals, Red Cards, and Drama
The deadlock was finally broken in the 78th minute when 20-year-old Doue pounced on a defensive error by Kane, cutting inside and drilling a low shot inside the near post.
The closing moments saw tempers flare, with PSG’s Pacho dismissed for a reckless challenge on Leon Goretzka, and substitute Lucas Hernandez sent off for an elbow in stoppage time.
Dembele sealed the victory in dramatic style, finishing off a counterattack from Achraf Hakimi’s clever run and emotionally dedicating his goal to Jota with the late forward’s trademark video game celebration.
PSG now advance to face either Real Madrid or Borussia Dortmund in Wednesday’s semi-final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
