Paris Saint-Germain secured a spot in the knockout phase of the Club World Cup with a comfortable 2-0 win over Seattle Sounders in their final group game.
Luis Enrique’s men capped off their group stage campaign with a routine victory, ensuring qualification alongside Brazilian side Botafogo.
The Ligue 1 champions controlled proceedings for much of the encounter, asserting their quality against the MLS outfit.
Seattle had a golden opportunity to break the deadlock 20 minutes in when Gianluigi Donnarumma misjudged a clearance outside his box, handing possession to Jesus Ferreira.
With the Italian goalkeeper stranded, Ferreira failed to capitalize, blazing his shot over the bar.
The missed chance proved costly. PSG struck first 15 minutes later when Vitinha let fly from the edge of the box following a corner. His effort took a deflection off Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, wrong-footing the goalkeeper and nestling in the bottom corner.
After the interval, PSG tightened their grip on the match. Achraf Hakimi doubled the lead in the 65th minute, calmly slotting home at the back post after a precise cut-back from Bradley Barcola.
Though Seattle pressed for a late goal, PSG saw out the remainder of the match comfortably, never looking troubled.
Among the standout performers was young winger Desire Doue, who tormented Seattle’s defense throughout the match.
Desire Doue is simply unplayable at his best and he would not stop driving at Seattle whenever the ball came his way. The 19-year-old completed five dribbles and made six tackles, highlighting both his attacking flair and defensive commitment.
However, it wasn’t smooth sailing for everyone in PSG colours. Teen striker Senny Mayulu struggled to make an impact up front.
He only managed one shot on goal, and did not test goalkeeper Stefan Frei. He is only 19, but he needs to add some more finesse to his game, particularly with his back to goal.
With the group stage now complete, PSG top their group and progress to the next round where they’ll face the runners-up from Group A, one of Palmeiras, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, Porto, or Al-Ahly.
The stage is set for a thrilling next chapter in PSG’s Club World Cup journey.