PSG vs. Real Madrid: 4 Key Battles That Could Decide Club World Cup Semifinal | OneFootball

Whether the all-new Club World Cup will usher in a new dawn of football remains to be seen, but there’s no denying that the tournament has delivered on the entertainment front this summer.

There have been some wonderful back-and-forth matches, and there‘s hope that Wednesday’s summer blockbuster between Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain will top the lot.

It‘s a tussle between the club synonymous with continental conquest, and Europe’s current best. The narratives are endless, and superstars will litter MetLife with both teams vying to reach the Club World Cup final.

Here are four key battles that could decide what should be a belting semifinal in the East Coast heat.

1. World’s Best Goalkeepers Face Off

Two of the world’s best shot-stoppers could decide the outcome of this semifinal. / IMAGO/HMB-Media

There’s absolutely no debate that Thibaut Courtois and Gianluigi Donnarumma rank among the world’s best goalkeepers. In fact, they may well be the two best right now.

Donnarumma had long been derided since his Euro 2020 heroics, with clumsy on-ball mistakes and high-profile errors harming his reputation. However, the Italian embarked on a legacy-defining run of form during PSG’s run to Champions League glory earlier this year. He was heroic in victories over Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal, with his catalogue of saves well worthy of making any highlight reel.

While PSG‘s masterful cohesion was rightfully lauded after their trouncing of Inter in the final, they wouldn’t have gotten there if it wasn’t for the towering Italian.

His opposite number on Wednesday, Courtois, has had an injury-plagued couple of years and didn’t enjoy the most fruitful of 2024–25 seasons. The Belgian’s mistake in Madrid’s Copa del Rey final defeat to Barcelona led to some suggesting their star goalkeeper was on the decline, but Courtois has proven this summer that he remains a premier shot-stopper. His save to deny Marcel Sabitzer a dramatic late equalizer in the previous round was surely the save of the Club World Cup.

The two goalkeepers enter the semifinals with the best save percentages in the tournament (Donnarumma: 92.5, Courtois: 90.5), according to FBRef. Courtois has been the busier of the two, and Donnarumma heads into Wednesday’s duel with the role he played in Jamal Musiala’s devastating injury hanging over him.

How close each goalkeeper performs to their respective apexes may decide who progresses into the final.

2. Superb Engine Rooms

Jude Bellingham will see plenty of Fabián Ruiz on Wednesday. / IMAGO/Pressefoto Baumann

Luis Enrique has stumbled upon an irresistible trio of midfielders who combine brawn with intellect, and subtlety with devastation. The cohesion with which Vitinha, João Neves and Fabián Ruiz perform makes you wonder whether they grew up together on the Iberian Peninsula despite their contrasting nationalities and ages.

Portuguese duo Vitinha and Neves are slight in stature, but boy do they pack a punch. Vitinha is the conductor of the scintillating Parisian orchestra at its base, while Neves can hassle and harry with the proficiency of a prime N'Golo Kanté. Spaniard Fabián, arguably the standout performer at Euro 2024, is never flustered. He’s the silent killer of this triumvirate.

They work in majestic harmony, with rotations and interchanges ensuring that opponents are never familiar with the face they’re meant to be marking.

The task at hand for Madrid’s midfield on Wednesday is daunting, and you may have feared the worst if Carlo Ancelotti was at the helm. However, Alonso has quickly brought about a more coherent structure to Madrid defensively, and the addition of classy playmaker Arda Güler has helped mitigate the void left by Toni Kroos’s retirement and Luka Modrić’s reduced prominence.

Alonso will want to create a PSG-like dynamic in Madrid’s midfield. He may well have found his Vitinha in Güler. Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde supply endless amounts of vigor, while both supply a goal threat.

PSG will go man-to-man in a bid to suffocate, but Madrid would be brave to follow suit. The positioning of Aurélien Tchouaméni could be a potential X-factor.

3. Nuno Mendes vs. Trent Alexander-Arnold

Nuno Mendes should have an impact going forward. / IMAGO/Icon Sportswire

Alonso’s Madrid have been shapeshifters at the Club World Cup this summer, with the Spaniard switching between a back four and five. A 3-5-2 brought success against Salzburg and Juventus, but Alonso returned to a four-man defense for their quarterfinal win over Borussia Dortmund.

However, their back four became a five with Federico Valverde providing Trent Alexander-Arnold with ample support against the speedy Karim Adeyemi.

Valverde spent much of last season at right-back after Dani Carvajal tore his ACL, and his comfort at dropping in will be crucial on Wednesday. PSG are blessed with a powerful and dynamic left flank, and Nuno Mendes, in particular, will aim to take advantage of the space Alexander-Arnold surrenders in transition.

The former Liverpool defender will want to affect proceedings high up the pitch, but as a deep-lying distributor. He won’t want to engage with Mendes one-on-one. The potential for the left-back to overwhelm Alexander-Arnold on the counter-attack could affect how aggressive the Englishman’s positioning is when Madrid have the ball. He’ll also want all the security Valverde can supply, given that Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will be stationed down his flank, too.

PSG are masters at manipulating defensive structures and pulling opponents out of position, so this will be a huge test for the Trent x Fede axis. While Mendes has shone defensively against the world’s best in 2025, this could be a game where his attacking thrust comes to the fore.

4. Taking Advantage of Suspensions

Dean Huijsen’s suspension is a big blow to Madrid’s chances. / IMAGO/Sportimage

Both teams will be without starters in defense as red cards flew out in the quarterfinals.

Willian Pacho has been a mainstay for PSG this calendar year, but he won’t be available for the semifinal after receiving his marching orders for a horrible tackle on Leon Goretzka. Lucas Hernández has played more of a sporadic role for Enrique’s side since returning from a long-term injury, and he’s also suspended for connecting an elbow with Raphaël Guerreiro’s jaw.

On the opposite side, Dean Huijsen has started every game for Madrid at the Club World Cup so far, but Alonso won’t be able to call upon him at MetLife after he saw red in the dying embers of their victory over Dortmund.

Raúl Asencio, who served a two-game suspension earlier in the tournament, is expected to replace Huijsen in Madrid’s backline.

Thus, the two sides have been dealt considerable blows, and the litany of attacking talent that makes up this fixture will be licking their lips. We’ve discussed the synchronicity with which PSG’s midfield play, and their front three performs with similar freedom. While Ousmané Dembélé could start on the bench again, the wily Bradley Barcola is an able deputy.

21-year-old Gonzalo García has been a revelation for Madrid so far at the tournament, but Kylian Mbappé netted a superb acrobatic goal in the previous round and is seemingly ready for his first start. In tandem with Vinícius Júnior, they’ll back themselves to get a center back pairing that has lost much of its athleticism with Pacho out. The question is whether Madrid can reliably beat PSG’s press enough to get them two on the ball.

Enrique’s side should have plenty of success in possession against a team that’s still very much a work in progress, and Alonso will be wary of pairing the aggressive Antonio Rüdiger with the rash Asencio against a team of this caliber. Expect the back five to come out, and for Tchouaméni and Valverde to offer as much support as possible.