Club World Cup Round of 16 Preview: PSG vs. Inter Miami | OneFootball

Paris Saint-Germain vs. Inter Miami

Sunday June 29 @ 12:00pm ET

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA

What a fascinating fixture. You have to imagine FIFA executives cackled with glee when they realized it would happen.

Recent History

The clubs have never faced each other, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t connections between them. Inter Miami owner David Beckham played ten games for the French club and retired wearing the PSG uniform. Lionel Messi spent two seasons with PSG before leaving in June 2023 to join Inter Miami. This will be his first game against his former club in pink. “The best respect you can show your former team is to be the best player on the field.” So quoth the DAZN analyst Juan Pablo Angel. We already know Messi is one of the best players on the field. The question is: can he make his teammates better?

How They Qualified for the Round of 16

Paris Saint-Germain finished first in Group B, one of three teams with six points. It was their thorough and complete thrashing 4 – 0 of Atlético Madrid back on June 15 that sealed their position, giving them the greater goal differential. Botafogo’s surprise win showed the PSG can be stymied with a well-executed low block coupled with a swift counter. A pedestrian 2 – 0 win over an outclassed Seattle Sounders showed manager Luis Enrqiue’s rotational savvy, as he rested many of his starters.

Strategically, PSG prefer to control the game tempo, and their 73.4% possession was second-best among qualifiers. Shot accuracy is slightly above the average, while goal conversion is slightly below. The PSG roster has been missing their striker Ousmane Dembélé (out with an injury), though they have plenty of other attacking weapons at their disposal. Their six goals scored in group play were from six different players, four of them midfielders. Moroccan right defender Achraf Hakimi is one of their most dangerous shot-takers, and has the second most touches of any player in the tournament. Georgian attacking midfielder Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has a goal and two assists, and will be a handful for the Miami defense.

Inter Miami finished second in Group A on five points. They stumbled out of the gates against Al Ahly in the tournament’s opening match with a 0 – 0 draw. The subsequent match against FC Porto was looking dire until an early second-half surge (and a trademark Messi free kick golaso) gave them the 2 – 1 edge. Miami looked sharp, vibrant and dangerous against Palmeiras and took a 2 – 0 lead into the final stages, only to fumble. They yielded two goals in the final ten minutes, but their draw secured both teams’ advancement. One of Miami’s biggest weaknesses: a lack of squad depth. Once the starters depart, the quality drops.

Expected Conditions

They’re playing in Atlanta, which is ferociously hot and humid this time of year. But the Mercedes-Benz Stadium is the only venue in this tournament with a retractable roof, meaning that the game can be played in climate controlled conditions. This could be the biggest non-player factor of the game. In this writer’s opinion, the roof will be closed even though the forecast does not have excessive heat, humidity or risk of thunderstorms.

The Hooligan Take

This is knockout soccer, and there are few out there better at this than Messi. Nobody doubts the GOAT’s drive and heart, but can his legs handle it? It’s no understatement that Miami’s fortunes are Messi’s fortunes. The club’s performance is intricately tied to the diminutive Argentinian and his carefully selected cadre of supporting players: Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez. These four players are six years older than PSG’s entire starting midfield AND forward line. Young midfielders Telasco Segovia and Tadeo Allende will be critical in keeping up the pace. Veteran keeper Oscar Ustari will once again be called upon to produce miracle saves.

But this is Paris Saint-Germain they’re facing. The reigning champions of Europe. Messi & Co will put up a good show for around 60 minutes, but in the end they will fall, and fall hard. This will be a 4 – 1 win for PSG.