Key events
Kick-off delayed
Kick-off has been delayed until 3.10pm local time, 8.10pm UK time. That’s because both teams got caught in traffic on their way to the stadium from their Manhattan hotels, and rocked up 20 minutes later than expected. Real have had no luck whatsoever on their travels: their flight to NYC was delayed for three hours last night due to storms.
DAZN ask Xabi Alonso about the absent Trent. “Yesterday in training he felt something … a small discomfort but not good enough to play today … for sure it is a blow … to deal with that is part of the job … we will miss him … we need to defend as a team, a unit … a good performance … a big challenge today … [Mbappé and Gonzalo Garcia] need to create in attack but also to commit in defence … we need to play as a unit when we have the ball and don’t have it … we are facing a good team so let’s see … we are ready … we are one step closer to the final and we want to make it … it’s a big one … a big challenge … [his brief period with his new players] has been intense and productive … build the basics of what we want for the next season.”
The winners of this semi-final will face Chelsea in Sunday’s final. For those of you who missed last night’s match, here’s what happened. João Pedro is what happened.
These clubs last met in 2022 in the Champions League. PSG looked like winning the round-of-16 tie, but threw away a two-goal aggregate lead in the second half of the second leg at the Bernabeu, Karim Benzema stunning them with a 16-minute hat-trick. At which point we all began to wonder whether PSG would ever win the trophy they craved more than any other. But here we are now. Three years is an awfully long time in football.
Here’s how the two teams made it through the quarters. A couple of games that got super-hectic towards the end.
Pre-match reading. A tale of blackmail and revenge, power and money, claim and counter-claim. The good doctor explains why all eyes will be on Kylian Mbappé this afternoon.
PSG make two changes to their starting XI from the incident-packed quarter-final 2-0 win over Bayern Munich. Lucas Beraldo replaces the suspended Willian Pacho in defence, while Ousmane Dembélé takes the place up front of Bradley Barcola, who is benched.
Real Madrid also make two changes to their starting line-up, following their 3-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund. Raúl Asencio comes in for suspended defender Dean Huijsen, while Kylian Mbappé makes his first start of the tournament. Trent Alexander-Arnold is out injured.
The teams
Paris Saint-Germain: Donnarumma, Hakimi, Nuno Mendes, Marquinhos, Lucas Beraldo, Vitinha, Neves, Fabian, Dembele, Doue, Kvaratskhelia.
Subs: Safonov, Tenas, Kamara, Lee, Zaire Emery, Mayulu, Goncalo Ramos, Barcola, Mbaye.
Real Madrid: Courtois, Rudiger, Tchouameni, Asencio, Valverde, Francisco Garcia, Bellingham, Guler, Mbappe, Gonzalo Garcia, Vinicius Junior.
Subs: Lunin, Lucas, Carvajal, Eder Militao, Ramon, Lekhedim, Modric, Ceballos, Diaz, Camavinga, Martin, Andres, Rodrygo, Munoz.
Referee: Szymon Marciniak (Poland).
Preamble
Yes, there are issues with the newly expanded Club World Cup. And they have been, quite correctly, well documented. But you’re here. I’m here. Let’s all of us not pretend that, despite it all, a semi-final clash between the most entertaining team on the planet right now and a brand-new incarnation of the most prestigious club side in the world isn’t anything other than exciting. Enticing. Exotic. Erotic. It kicks off at 8pm UK time, 3pm in New Jersey. It’s on!
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