PSG Beat Seattle to Reach Last 16 of Club World Cup

Paris Saint-Germain are through to the last 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup after a 2-0 win over Seattle Sounders on Monday.

The French side, managed by Luis Enrique, scored through Khvicha Kvaratskhelia andl Achraf Hakimi to finish top of Group B. It was a strong response after their surprise defeat to Botafogo in the previous match.

Despite that earlier loss, PSG looked confident and in control. They had 15 shots in the game and an expected goals compared Seattle’s seven attempts. PSG also dominated possession – something they’ve done throughout the group stage – and have now completed 1,500 more passes than their opponents over three games.

Botafogo also made it through to the next round, even though they lost 1-0 to Atletico Madrid. That means PSG and Botafogo move on, while Atletico go out.

Luis Enrique said his team are fully focused and eager to go far in the tournament. “We want to go as far as possible, and I think the players are ready,” he said. “The real competition starts now, and it will be very difficult. We’re motivated!”

PSG could face Inter Miami in the next round – and that means a possible match against Lionel Messi, who used to play for the French club.

Still, not everything went smoothly. Luis Enrique was unhappy with the pitch at Lumen Field, where the match was played. “The pitch is far from the quality we see in European stadiums,” he said. “The ball bounced around like a rabbit. You can’t play top-level football like that. FIFA needs to fix this – not just in stadiums, but at training sites too.”

Elsewhere in Group B

Atletico Madrid beat Botafogo 1-0 in Pasadena, with a late goal from Antoine Griezmann in the 87th minute. But it wasn’t enough – they needed to win by three goals to go through. Atletico finish with six points but are out of the competition on goal difference.

Atletico boss Diego Simeone admitted their 4-0 defeat to PSG in the first match ended up costing them. “We won two out of three matches, and sadly, we’re out,” he said. “We know what we need to improve.”

Griezmann added: “We have to look at ourselves. Sometimes we’re not at the level we need to be, and we must fix that.