By Andrea Caropreso
Index
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The Club World Cup bracket is taking shape. After the first four Round of 16 matches, some verdicts are already in. Paris Saint-Germain are the clear favorites to win the tournament, as demonstrated in their comfortable victory over Inter Miami, where Kvara and teammates cruised to a win while conserving energy for the quarter-finals. In the next round, they’ll face Bayern Munich, coached by Vincent Kompany, who defeated Flamengo. The Club World Cup continues for Chelsea and Palmeiras as well, who claimed wins over Benfica and Botafogo respectively.
Always Kane
The Club World Cup loses one of its main contenders—Flamengo, arguably the best South American team, which nonetheless couldn’t withstand Bayern Munich’s dominance and especially the force of their number 9, Harry Kane. The Brazilians quickly went down 2-0, with an own goal and a deflected shot initiated by Kane. However, they reacted with pride, once again showing that, in a one-off match, the gap between the continents isn’t always so wide.
After 20 tough minutes, Flamengo struck back. Gerson blasted one past Neuer from inside the box. But just before halftime, Goretzka showed his strength and curled in a stunning goal to make it 3-1. The Germans thought it was over, but an error from Olise resulted in a penalty converted by Jorginho, bringing Flamengo back to 3-2. Just as they were clawing their way back, Bayern restored the lead again—thanks to Kane.
The Englishman received the ball on the edge of the area and, almost without looking, struck it past the keeper. Clinical—as was Bayern’s overall performance, which ultimately sent the Brazilians home with heads held high.
Paris in control
Paris Saint-Germain dominated Inter Miami in the Club World Cup, wrapping up the match within 45 minutes. Mascherano’s side couldn’t rely solely on Messi’s magic, although the Argentine did light up the second half with a perfect assist wasted by Suárez. The European champions were far too strong, especially in the first half, where Neves scored twice and Hakimi added another in stoppage time to make it 4-0.
The second half was pure game management for PSG, who kept control without pushing forward aggressively. Inter Miami, with its fading stars, posed little threat—apart from a header by Messi well saved by Donnarumma. With that, they exit the Club World Cup. Now, though, PSG faces a real test: Bayern awaits in the quarter-finals—a rematch of the 2020 Champions League final.
Chelsea advance, Palmeiras win Brazilian derby
Looking back, one match may go down in history as the longest ever played: Chelsea vs. Benfica was halted with five minutes to go due to severe weather warnings—something that has plagued this edition of the tournament. Upon resumption, a questionable penalty was awarded to Benfica and Di María equalized. Extra time followed.
In the extra period, Prestianni was sent off for a foolish foul, and from there Chelsea pulled away, eventually sealing a 4-1 win that felt a bit harsh based on the balance of play.
In the all-Brazilian derby between Palmeiras and Botafogo, it was the “Verdao” who emerged victorious. The match wasn’t a spectacle but was intense from start to finish. The Club World Cup is a huge stage for South American clubs, and after extra time, Abel Ferreira’s side claimed the spotlight. In the quarter-finals, they’ll now face Maresca’s Chelsea.
