Paris Saint-Germain has reached the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup on Sunday after a 4-0 victory over the American side Inter Miami. This resulted in a particularly painful reunion for former PSG player Lionel Messi with his old club.
Inter Miami, in the eighth final against PSG, had players like Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and Federico Redondo, the son of Fernando Redondo. Yet, the Americans were no match for the reigning Champions League winner.
João Neves opened the score in the sixth minute by heading in a clever free kick from Vitinha, and later in the first half, he was the final point of a smooth counter-attack. Busquets carelessly lost the ball before Neves’s 2-0 goal. An own goal by Tomás Avilés and a tap-in from Achraf Hakimi extended PSG’s lead to 3-0 and 4-0 before Inter Miami could head to the locker room.
In the second half, PSG took it easier, giving Messi the opportunity to excel. Shortly after the break, he set Suárez free with a virtuoso pass, but the Uruguayan missed the chance for a consolation goal. Messi also had a header saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma, leaving the score at 4-0.
PSG had finished first in a group with Botafogo, Atlético Madrid, and Seattle Sounders. Inter Miami advanced as the runner-up after group winner Palmeiras, at the expense of FC Porto and Al Ahly FC.
Bayern Munich and Flamengo will face each other in Miami. The winner of that match will play against PSG in the quarter-finals, who will compete once again in Atlanta.
Palmeiras and Chelsea had already reached the quarter-finals earlier this weekend after victories over Botafogo and Benfica, respectively. On Monday and Tuesday, the matches Internazionale-Fluminense, Manchester City-Al Hilal, Real Madrid-Juventus, and Borussia Dortmund-Monterrey are still scheduled.