Sunday marked the initial full day of competition in the revamped Club World Cup tournament, featuring appearances from several prominent European teams and a series of compelling matches.
The day`s football action commenced with what was arguably the most unbalanced fixture of the group phase: six-time UEFA Champions League champions Bayern Munich taking on Auckland City FC from New Zealand, the competition`s sole semi-professional participant.
Following this, the highlight match of Sunday featured the reigning Champions League titleholders, Paris Saint-Germain, going head-to-head with Atletico Madrid at the iconic Rose Bowl stadium.
Later on Sunday, FC Porto was scheduled to face Palmeiras, with the latter representing the first South American team to compete in a tournament that is highly regarded on their continent. The final game of the day pitted MLS side Seattle Sounders, winners of the 2022 Concacaf Champions Cup, against Brazil`s Botafogo in a crucial match within a fiercely contested Group B, which also includes PSG and Atletico.
Paris Saint-Germain Assert European Supremacy
Playing without Ousmane Dembele, Paris Saint-Germain demonstrated their status as one of Europe`s premier teams. They quickly established a dominant 2-0 lead against Atletico Madrid in the first half. Fabian Ruiz opened the scoring in the 19th minute, and PSG went on to find the net via three different goal scorers, securing a comprehensive 4-0 victory. It was a match to forget for Atletico Madrid, whose difficulties were compounded by Clement Lenglet receiving a red card and conceding a penalty late in added time, a factor that could significantly affect their goal difference.
PSG controlled proceedings effectively, enjoying 74% possession and directing 11 of their 16 attempts on target. In stark contrast, Atletico Madrid managed only one shot on target throughout the entire match and struggled to generate meaningful attacking plays, their best effort being a Julian Alvarez goal that was disallowed due to a foul in the build-up. This decisive win positions PSG favorably to top their group, while Atletico Madrid now face a must-win scenario in their upcoming fixture against the Seattle Sounders on Thursday.
Bayern Munich Delivers Record-Breaking Rout
As anticipated, Bayern Munich secured a monumental 10-0 victory over the amateur team Auckland City FC on Sunday in their opening match of the Club World Cup. Four separate players netted multiple goals, including a hat-trick from Jamal Musiala. Both the final score and the number of goals scored established new records for the competition. The Bavarian club recorded a commanding 31 shots compared to Auckland`s single attempt, 17 shots on target versus one, held 72 percent of possession, and completed over 450 more passes than their opponents.
The squad from Auckland City FC is composed of players who typically work full-time jobs, often totaling 40 hours per week, and had to request leave specifically to participate in this tournament. While it was always going to be an incredibly difficult task for them to keep the match competitive, Bayern showed no let-up, setting a clear and dominant tone for their group, which also includes Benfica and Boca Juniors.
