Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the FIFA Club World Cup match.
The FIFA Club World Cup semi-final between Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid stands out as the marquee fixture of the knockout rounds, with the winner likely to emerge as the leading contender for the title. The French come into this tie in excellent form, with a strong recent record in knockout stages bolstering their credentials.
Paris Saint-Germain
Over the past two months, Paris Saint-Germain have won nine of their last ten matches in all competitions, scoring at least twice in each of those nine victories. In the knockout rounds, the French team confidently saw off Inter Miami CF (4:0) and FC Bayern Munich (2:0), producing a combined 4.50 xG across the two fixtures. Defensive suspensions could complicate matters — with Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernández both missing due to red cards — but the centre-back duo of Marcos Aoás Corrêa and Lucas Beraldo still provides a solid foundation. Ousmane Dembélé, considered a legitimate Ballon d’Or candidate this year, is expected to feature prominently in this clash, especially after netting his first Club World Cup goal against FC Bayern Munich.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid, in contrast, faced a more challenging path to the semi-finals, narrowly defeating Juventus (1:0) and Borussia Dortmund (3:2). Supporters remain cautious, as the standout performer to date has been Fran García, a deep squad player and academy graduate who has tallied four goals and one assist in the tournament. Whether he can maintain that level against Paris Saint-Germain is uncertain. Defensive issues have also surfaced, with Dean Huijsen, a regular starter, suspended after a late red card in the quarter-finals. As a result, Aurélien Tchouaméni is expected to partner Antonio Rüdiger at the heart of defence — a pairing that could weaken the squad’s overall defensive cohesion.
Paris Saint-Germain vs Real Madrid Prediction
Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé have combined for just two goals and one assist at this tournament — a surprisingly modest output given their reputations. Paris Saint-Germain are likely to adopt an aggressive pressing game and take early control, which could be sufficient to secure a place in the final.
