FIFA Club World Cup Semifinals have arrived, and this Wednesday, July 9th, two of the fans’ favorites, PSG and Real Madrid, will collide at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, hoping to bring a good number of fans to a venue with a capacity of 82.500. This game is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. ET, and here is our Pay Per Head analysis and prediction.
Real Madrid vs PSG Game Analysis: Team Form & Key Players
There is no surprise to see these two giants in the semifinals of the first edition of this 32-club World Cup: Real Madrid, for their tradition in European competitions, named as one of the best clubs of all time, and PSG, after conquering the last UEFA Champions League, with a playbook that seems to be hard to beat, and even positioning as favorites in this match in particular. This will be Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé’s reunion with his last club, PSG, after leaving in June 2024.
Despite losing one of the best strikers in the world, Paris Saint-Germain has found a great chemistry and a balanced roster, even with outstanding players such as Ousmane Dembélé and the Georgian Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Unfortunately, PSG will be without William Pacho and Lucas Hernández due to the sanctions imposed after the red cards in the game against Bayern Munich. Real Madrid, on the other hand, will be without Dean Huijsen for the same reason.
The Spanish defender saw a red card in the 96th minute of their game against Borussia Dortmund when he took down the striker Serhou Guirassy in the area, which ended in a penalty. Coach Xabi Alonso must decide between Raúl Asencio, Éder Militao, and Jacobo Ramón.
PSG’s Club World Cup Journey
PSG has reached the semifinals in good form after a solid group stage, where they beat Atlético de Madrid 4-0, defeated Seattle Sounders 2-0, and lost against Botafogo 0-1. In the round of 16, they beat Inter Miami 4-0, and in their most recent game in the quarterfinals, they beat the German champion Bayern Munich in the Mercedes-Benz Arena. Now, they must overcome Real Madrid if they want to reach the final and keep up the good pace of their recent performances.
Real Madrid’s Club World Cup Knockouts
Real Madrid were placed in Group H, where, on Matchday 1, they drew 1-1 against Al Hilal with a goal from Gonzalo García, the revelation striker. Then they won against Mexican club Pachuca 3-1 and Austrian club FC Salzburg 3-0. In the first game of the qualifying round, they beat Juventus 1-0 at the Hard Rock Stadium with a goal from Gonzalo García once again. In the quarterfinals, they faced the German club Borussia Dortmund in a game dominated 2-0 from the very first minutes, but with a surprising ending in the last 10 minutes, resulting in a final score of 3-2.
Real Madrid vs. PSG Record & Key Encounters
They have faced each other a dozen times, with a positive outcome for the Merengues, who have five victories, the Parisians have four, and there have been three ties. Their first clash was in the quarter-finals of the 1992-93 Europa League, with an aggregate score of 5-4, where Paris qualified, featuring players such as Iván Zamorano, George Weah, and Emilio Butragueño. In recent times, their last encounter was for the round of 16 of the 2020-2021 UEFA Champions League edition, where Real Madrid beat Paris with a global score of 3-2.
Official Match Forecast: Real Madrid vs. PSG Score Prediction
Real Madrid is one of the most surprising and unexpected clubs, particularly in the latter stages of the UEFA Champions League games. Now, in front lies the current European champion: PSG. However, there is an interesting fact that may prompt fans to reconsider their prediction: The referee assigned to this game is the Polish Szymon Marciniak, who has been fraught with controversy after the misinterpretation of infamous Julián Álvarez’s double-touch penalty, also the semifinal between Inter and Barcelona, where the left hand of central defender Francesco Acerbi was not flagged as a penalty and Marciniak not even call the VAR, or the canceled goal of Matthijs De Ligt for a supposed offside, in Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich in 2024, which after several reviews, everything pointed to a legal goal that would have sent the game to overtime. Our prediction led us to believe that PSG would continue their good performance and reach the final of the FIFA Club World Cup, but probably not on this occasion: Real Madrid 2-1 PSG.
