Nine-man Paris Saint-Germain have qualified for the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup by knocking out Bayern Munich, thanks to goals from Desire Doue and Ballon d’Or favourite Ousmane Dembélé.
Recall, Softfootball initially reported that the FIFA Club World Cup quarter-final clash between PSG and Bayern Munich would be a blockbuster — and it certainly lived up to expectations. PSG went two men down after taking the lead, as Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernandez received their marching orders.
Despite seeing red twice, the French treble winners held on and even closed out the game thanks to Ousmane Dembélé’s late goal. ESPN had revealed, Bayern had won the last encounter with PSG in November, but the Parisians were slight favourites and made their pedigree count.
It was an emotional start, as the players and the nearly 67,000 spectators observed a minute’s silence In honour of late Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva. It was especially emotional for PSG, who had five Portuguese stars in their squad.
Luis Enrique opted to name Ousmane Dembélé on the bench as he continues to recover from his quadriceps injury, while Jamal Musiala was fit to start after recovering from a calf injury.
However, the German superstar suffered an unfortunate injury just before half-time after a collision with PSG’s goalkeeper Donnarumma that saw him twist his ankle badly.
Dayot Upamecano thought he had put Bayern ahead with a header from Michael Olise’s excellent free-kick, but the goal was ruled out for offside after PSG’s well-executed high line. Harry Kane then went close with a header that flew just wide following a cross from Kingsley Coman.
Manuel Neuer was later called into action, producing a superb save to deny Barcola’s curling effort after a quick break. With 20 minutes left, Luis Enrique introduced Ousmane Dembélé, who nearly made an instant impact.
The breakthrough finally came when Desire Doue punished a mistake by Kane, dancing past defenders at the edge of the box before curling a brilliant shot into the far corner. Bayern were handed a lifeline when Willian Pacho was sent off in the 83rd minute, and they thought they had equalised, but Kane’s header was ruled out for offside once more.
Ousmane Dembélé’s clinical finish capped off a tense contest, making the most of PSG’s limited chances to secure a hard-fought victory. His composure in front of goal proved decisive in what was a tightly contested encounter, where opportunities were scarce and both defences stood strong for long stretches.
Softfootball previously spotlighted Dembélé as a rising favourite for the Ballon d’Or, citing his recent form, impact in key matches, and growing influence in PSG’s attack. With another match-winning display, the French winger has solidified his place among the elite contenders for football’s most prestigious individual award.
With this victory, PSG advance to the semi-finals of the competition, where they will face either Real Madrid or Borussia Dortmund. The high-stakes clash is set to take place on Wednesday at the iconic MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, promising another thrilling night of football as PSG aim to edge closer to continental glory.
