PSG Vs Bayern Munich: Key Match To Determine Club World Cup Favorite

Last Updated:July 04, 2025, 12:31 IST

PSG faces Bayern Munich in the Club World Cup quarter-final, with the winner likely favored to win. Real Madrid plays Borussia Dortmund. PSG, led by Luis Enrique, aims for history.

Bayern Munich (L) gear up to face CL Champions, PSG (R). (AP Photo)

The quarter-final line-up for the Club World Cup indicates that the winner of the heavyweight clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich on Saturday will likely emerge as the favourite to win FIFA’s new competition.

Real Madrid can never be discounted, but the Spanish giants are still finding their rhythm under new coach Xabi Alonso, ahead of their match against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday in New Jersey.

PSG arrived in the United States with momentum, having won the UEFA Champions League in Munich at the end of May. Luis Enrique’s team cruised into the quarter-finals despite a stumble against Brazil’s Botafogo in the group stage.

Bayern finished second in their group behind Benfica, but their emphatic 4-2 win over Flamengo in the last 16, with Harry Kane scoring twice, demonstrated their intent.

Vincent Kompany’s squad has netted 16 goals in four matches and seems determined to redeem themselves after falling short in the Champions League, where they lost in the last eight to an Inter Milan team that PSG later humiliated 5-0 in the final.

“We followed PSG’s season with interest. It was a great story because things were not perfect at the beginning and yet, despite the criticism, they kept fighting and believing," Kompany remarked.

“But that doesn’t change anything for us. We want to win."

Winning the Club World Cup would cap a promising first year for Kompany, who led Bayern to reclaim the Bundesliga title from Bayer Leverkusen.

PSG confident of being world-beaters

PSG eventually conquered Europe, but Bayern defeated them 1-0 in the Champions League league phase back in November.

“We have to try to take the energy and the good feeling into this match. We know it’s going to be difficult, but we feel like we can beat anyone when we’re at our top level," said Kane, who has 41 goals in 50 club appearances since last August, to Bayern’s website.

PSG, who were defeated by Bayern in the 2020 Champions League final, recently crushed Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami 4-0 in the last 16 and are dreaming of adding a world title to their French and European crowns.

“We are having a historic season for our club and we want to extend it in this competition," said coach Luis Enrique.

“Our objective is to go as far as possible, but to do that (and reach the final) we still need to come through two ties."

This will be PSG’s 63rd match in all competitions since the start of the Ligue 1 season last August, and Luis Enrique is hoping for one last effort from his exhausted players before they can enjoy a short summer break.

The build-up to the game at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta has been overshadowed by the tragic death of Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota in a car accident in Spain on Thursday.

Four PSG players—Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, Joao Neves, and Goncalo Ramos—were all international teammates of Jota and played alongside him in the Portugal team that won the UEFA Nations League barely four weeks ago.

Luis Enrique’s squad held a long moment of silence before training on Thursday after learning of Jota’s death, as did Bayern ahead of their session.

(With AFP Inputs)

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