Grit, Style, and a Semifinal Spot: PSG Outlasts Bayern in Club World Cup Thriller

The defining image of Luis Enrique’s Paris Saint-Germain came in the final moments of stoppage time at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Down to nine men, clinging to a 1–0 lead in the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinal, PSG didn’t bunker in. Instead, they surged forward—bold, composed, and true to their identity.

Ousmane Dembélé, ever the threat, flicked a ball to Vitinha at midfield and took off. Moments later, he collected the return pass, cracked a shot off the crossbar, and stayed locked into the attack. PSG didn’t retreat—they pressed again. Achraf Hakimi danced past a defender, cut the ball back into the box, and Dembélé finished the job. With a 2–0 win over Bayern Munich, PSG booked their place in the semifinals.

(photos by Sofia Cupertino for the SDH Network)

Bayern had succeeded in throwing PSG off their usual rhythm for much of the night. The Bundesliga champions pressed high and with intent, disrupting PSG’s build-up and dictating large stretches of the match, especially late in the first half and early in the second. But their control never translated into a goal.

Instead, PSG landed the decisive blow in the 78th minute, and it came from a player who had already left blood on the pitch. Désiré Doué, earlier caught by a high boot from Konrad Laimer, rose to the moment. After João Neves dispossessed Harry Kane in midfield, he played a one-two with Hakimi and found himself in the box. His cut-back pass reached Doué near the top of the arc. After sizing up the far post, Doué fired low and hard back across his body toward the near post—beating Manuel Neuer, who had begun to shift the wrong way.

Neuer denied Kvaratskhelia in the first half

The quality of the match lived up to, and perhaps exceeded, the expectations for a showdown between the Bundesliga and European champions. The first half was a track meet, with both teams trading punches. Neuer and Gianluigi Donnarumma each made key saves to keep it goalless at the break, with shots and possession split almost evenly.

The second half shifted in tone as referee Anthony Taylor began calling a tighter game. The pressure of knockout football took over. Neuer looked increasingly shaky with the ball at his feet, a vulnerability PSG seized upon. Doué’s goal broke the tension.

Willian Pacho was shown a straight red in the 82nd minute for a reckless, studs-up tackle on Leon Goretzka. Then, in stoppage time, Lucas Hernández was also dismissed for a blatant elbow to Raphaël Guerreiro’s face.

Despite the chaos, PSG never lost their nerve. Rather than retreat and defend their lead, they pushed to finish the job—embodying the fearless, attacking ethos Luis Enrique demands.

With their place in the semifinals secured, PSG now awaits the winner of Saturday afternoon’s clash between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund. On this evidence, they'll arrive with confidence, character—and a clear identity.