PSG Dismantle Real Madrid to Reach Club World Cup Final
PSG outclass Real Madrid 3-0 in the Club World Cup semi-final with a tactical masterclass. Full breakdown of Luis Enrique’s dominant strategy.
RayWrites- July 10, 2025
In a night that will be remembered not just for the scoreline, but for the sheer tactical brilliance on display, Paris Saint-Germain tore apart Real Madrid with a 4-0 victory in the semi-final of the FIFA Club World Cup. From the very first whistle to the final blow, PSG showed why they are not just a talented squad, but an elite-level footballing machine under Luis Enrique.
The Setup: How the Chessboard Was Laid
Real Madrid set up in their familiar 4-3-3, with Aurélien Tchouaméni anchoring the midfield alongside Jude Bellingham and Toni Kroos. The front three featured Vinícius Jr., Rodrygo, and Joselu — a trio full of pace and creativity on paper. But on the pitch, it was chaos. PSG, on the other hand, came prepared with an incredibly disciplined, high-pressing setup. Their structure in and out of possession was spotless — from Fabian Ruiz controlling Zone 14, to Hakimi and Mendes executing perfectly timed overlaps, and from Gonzalo Garcia’s smart movements to Mbappé’s disguised runs, the French giants looked like a team that had done their homework.
Dissecting the Press: Real Madrid’s Midfield Torn Apart
One of the game’s defining tactical features was PSG’s ability to manipulate Madrid’s double pivot. Tchouaméni and Bellingham were consistently dragged out of position. Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha set pressing traps in midfield, drawing Madrid’s central players out before slicing through the spaces they left behind. Bellingham looked unusually disconnected. In several key moments, he and Tchouaméni were seen standing parallel, frozen, while PSG’s runners — Dembélé, Garcia, Ruiz — flooded the half-spaces.
And therein lay the brilliance: PSG weren’t reinventing the wheel. They were simply executing known patterns to perfection. Like Argentina’s legendary goal vs. France in the 2022 World Cup final, PSG’s first goal came off a breathtaking, elegantly simple sequence — one-touch passes, perfectly timed runs, and a cut-back that left Madrid’s defense chasing shadows. It was a carbon copy of everything PSG trained for — right-flank overloads, inside passes, and cutbacks from the byline.
Hakimi-Dembélé Axis: Madrid’s Left Side Collapses
Madrid’s biggest defensive vulnerability was their left-hand side. Fran Garcia, in particular, looked completely lost dealing with the Hakimi-Dembélé duo. The Moroccan full-back tucked in, Dembélé pulled wide, and Fabian Ruiz occupied the half-space, leaving Garcia isolated in 1v2 situations. Real Madrid had no answers.
Multiple sequences showed Hakimi receiving a pass in acres of space while Dembélé ran behind. In one move, Hakimi cut the ball back perfectly to Fabian Ruiz, who smashed it in to make it 2-0. What made this sequence stunning wasn’t just the technical execution — it was the total mismatch in tactical understanding. Madrid’s pressing from the front was disjointed. Rodrygo and Vinícius pressed half-heartedly. The midfield trio was caught between tracking runners and pressing passing lanes. PSG exploited that indecision ruthlessly.
Fabian Ruiz: The Underrated General
If one man deserves special mention, it’s Fabian Ruiz. His heatmap was a work of art. Constantly available, always scanning, and executing passes with laser precision, the Spanish midfielder was the orchestrator PSG needed. He completed 85+ touches, 10 long balls, several final-third entries, and still managed to cover ground defensively.
In one instance, he drew two Madrid players — Bellingham and Güler — and released Nuno Mendes into space with a disguised pass. That one move showed the gap in quality between Madrid’s static approach and PSG’s fluid, confident buildup.
Marking Confusion: Real’s Defensive Communication Breakdown
Perhaps the most damning sequence for Madrid was when Güler and Garcia both pressed Fabian Ruiz, only for Ruiz to nonchalantly play a through ball to Nuno Mendes, completely unmarked. This forced Rudiger to jump out of line, leaving Gonzalo Garcia free in the box. It was schoolboy-level defending from a club of Real Madrid’s stature. There was no communication. No anticipation.
And when you fail to anticipate PSG’s right-side overloads — something even fans expected — you pay the price.
Real Madrid’s Flaws Exposed
Real Madrid’s problems were far from isolated to defense. Their ball retention was poor. Their structure in possession lacked width and movement. Their average PPDA (passes per defensive action) was 24.6 — abysmal. PSG’s, in contrast, was 8.4 — showing how aggressive and efficient they were in pressing.
By the 60th minute, PSG had made 476 passes. Madrid? Just 168. A damning stat that perfectly encapsulated their domination.
Vinícius Jr. looked out of sorts. His pressing was laughable at times — in one viral moment, he stood two feet away from Jonás Neves and did nothing. Güler tried to press Ruiz solo while the rest of the team watched passively. There was no synchrony. No urgency. No heart.
Tchouaméni and Bellingham: Nowhere to Be Found
Tchouaméni, for all his hype, failed to read PSG’s vertical runs. Bellingham seemed caught between being a creator and a presser. That indecision allowed PSG to exploit spaces in the midfield. Time and again, their triangle of Ruiz, Vitinha, and Hakimi opened up Madrid like a zipper.
Luis Enrique’s side didn’t do anything unpredictable. That’s the scariest part. They were predictable — and still unplayable. Real Madrid knew what was coming and still couldn’t stop it. That’s on Carlo Ancelotti and the players.
Gonzalo Garcia & Kylian Mbappé: Silent Killers
While Mbappé didn’t score, his movement was critical. He rotated roles with Garcia multiple times, keeping Madrid’s backline guessing. At one point, he dropped deep and pulled Carvajal with him, opening a huge channel for Dembélé. Garcia himself operated with maturity — his runs were intelligent, his hold-up play on point, and his chemistry with midfielders impressive for a player of his age.
Final Thoughts: Mockery or Masterclass?
This wasn’t just a win — this was a footballing lecture. PSG walked into the biggest stage of the Club World Cup and turned it into a training session. Real Madrid, meanwhile, looked like a team playing preseason friendlies.
Only a few players — Fede Valverde, Edér Militão after coming on, and Thibaut Courtois — showed any real intent. The rest were passengers. PSG’s nine goals in the last three games, including wins over Atlético Madrid and now Real Madrid, show they are peaking at the right time.
Madrid need to regroup. Fast. Their front-three pressing was laughable, midfield disconnected, and defensive setup in shambles. Chelsea, who now face PSG in the final, will have taken notes. But even they will know — beating this version of PSG will require not just discipline and quality, but a miracle.
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