PARIS Saint Germain Football Club demolished Real Madrid Football Club, 4-0, in the semifinals round of the FIFA Club World Cup on Wednesday (Thursday in the Philippines) at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Spanish midfielder Fabian Ruiz scored twice in a devastating first-half display as the French champions moved closer to their second consecutive major crown after ruling the UEFA Champions League last month.
Ruiz drew first blood for PSG as he scored off a rebound following a miss by teammate Ousmane Dembele in the sixth minute before Dembele doubled the count in the ninth minute with a close-range shot.
Ruiz struck again in the 24th minute after Achraf Hakimi made a great run down the right, leading to another close shot. Goncalo Ramos completed the rout late in the game.
“It was an incredible match, brilliant win,” Ruiz said during his Player of the Match interview with DAZN. “We made a perfect game and beat a top-level rival like Real Madrid in a great way. It’s job well done.”
“Even under scorching heat, such difficult conditions to play in midday, the team responded really well and it’s an achievement to be proud of,” he added.
PSG will next battle Chelsea in the one-game finale on Sunday afternoon (Monday in the Philippines) at the same venue.
Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso missed the services of defender Dean Huijsen due to a suspension and new recruit Trent Alexander-Arnold due to an injury.
“At the beginning, the setback was strong enough with a 2-0 down. We knew that the task was really tough,” said Alonso. “At the moment, the feeling is not the best, but we’ll have to try to learn from today. They are a team that has been built in two years and we are just starting here, so it will take time.”
“Right now what we need is a proper break. This is not the beginning of next year, this is just the end of this season. After just three weeks here, I think that we can take positives from this period, not from today. We take lessons from today,” he added./PN
