(foto: Getty Images)
Paris Saint-Germain shocked Bayern Munich 2–0 to reach the Club World Cup semi-finals, scoring twice and defending heroically despite being reduced to nine men in the final minutes.
Paris Saint-Germain booked their place in the Club World Cup semi-finals with a stunning 2–0 win over Bayern Munich, in a match many had dubbed the “final before the final.”
The high-stakes quarter-final clash saw the European champions outclass the German giants in a match that exploded into drama in the final stages—when PSG were reduced to just nine players on the pitch.
The first half offered intensity and chances on both ends, but Harry Kane’s disallowed goal and superb saves from Gianluigi Donnarumma and Manuel Neuer kept the score locked at 0–0 going into the break.
Neuer’s blunder in the 75th minute nearly handed PSG the opener, but Ousmane Dembele missed the open net after a defensive mix-up. But just minutes later, the breakthrough came.
In the 79th minute, Vitinha intercepted the ball in midfield and started a flowing move that ended at the feet of 19-year-old Desire Doue, who rifled a perfect shot past a frozen Neuer to give PSG a deserved 1–0 lead.
But chaos followed. Willian Pacho received a red card in the 81st minute for a reckless foul, and Lucas Hernandez was also sent off in the 90th minute after catching Raphaël Guerreiro in the face with an elbow.
Down to nine men and facing five minutes of stoppage time, PSG refused to buckle. Instead, they countered with precision and flair. Ousmane Dembele sealed the win with a brilliant breakaway goal in the dying moments to make it 2–0.
PSG now join Fluminense and Chelsea in the semi-finals and will be boosted by having nine of their players ranked among the tournament's top four performers so far. Their quest for a first Club World Cup title remains alive—and their statement win over Bayern may just be the turning point of the tournament.