Key events
November seems a long time ago …
“Paris Saint-Germain’s disappointing Champions League campaign continued on Wednesday as they slumped to a last-gasp 2-1 home defeat by Atlético Madrid that left the Ligue 1 leaders in the elimination zone.”
Rob Green is out in LA and he points out that it is boiling. I suspect we are set for a slow-paced affair.
It looks hot at the Rose Bowl. It also looks rather empty in the stands but that might be people shielding from the heat.
There does seem to be an overeager security guard there pushing the cameras away. Has he not heard how much Dazn paid for these rights?
It’s the same lineup in the studio. Richardson is right, this is actually a decent game in theory. It might allow him to gloss over how pointless the Bayern game was …
Gerard emails: “I just watched Bayern-Auckland with my son and it was obviously a shocking mismatch. Felt sorry for an Auckland side so terribly out of their depth and also for a Bayern side who were damned if they did, damned if they didn’t.
”We enjoyed a misfiring Harry Kane and wondered what sort of a negative goal difference Auckland would end up with at the end of the group phase (will Boca and Benfica really be easier?).
”My son is 14 and a bit naive to what’s really happening here. Personally I don’t give a sh*t as to who wins the competition. Too much football? Yes.”
It does feel like the game eating itself. Players forced more games, fans forced to pay more money. All that is going to happen is the players will become more tired, the product will diminish and the real supporters will stop going, therefore ruining the atmosphere.
I should say the wonder combination of James Richardson, Mamadou Sakho and John Obi Mikel for the last match was a fantastic surprise.
I am genuinely interested in people’s views on the competition. I watched the buildup to Bayern v Auckland and the first half hour of the match. I can’t stand each player coming out onto the pitch separately nor the pointless countdown to kick-off. The fact Bayern played at half speed did add an element of humour. If this was a Champions League night, I would be very excited by this fixture but I am quite concerned it will be pretty sterile.
Thus far in the tournament we have had a 0-0 draw and a 10-0 win. I am not sure this is the sort of “entertainment” Fifa were hoping for. There were plenty of empty seats and zero atmosphere for Bayern’s rampant win over Auckland, so Infantino must be desperate for this to be better.
Starting lineups
PSG (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Neves, Vitinha, Ruiz; Doue, Ramos, Kvaratskhelia
Subs: Hernandez, Kamara, Kang-in, Beraldo, Mayulu, Mbaye, Safonov, Tenas, Zaire-Emery
Atletico: (4-3-3) Oblak; Llorente, Le Normand, Lenglet, Galan; De Paul, Samuel Lino; Simeone, Griezmann, Alvarez
Subs: Azpilicueta, Correa, Gallagher, Gimenez, Gomis, Reinildo, Kostis, Witsel, Lemar, Carlos Martin, Molina, Musso, Koke, Riquelme, Sorloth
Preamble
A couple of weeks on from winning the Champions League, PSG are back in action in the Club World Cup. They must be seen as favourites after being crowned the best in Europe but they might be a little tired from celebrating and a bit of international duty.
Atletico finished their league campaign on 25 May, so were afforded an extra week off prior to international commitments. Will that be beneficial or are PSG in more of a flow?
This is certainly the most intriguing of the games over the first couple of days of the competition. Inter Miami’s opening night draw with Al Ahly did little to get people excited, so maybe two European giants going head to head will get a few more eyeballs.
It will be very hot in Los Angeles for this one, which I am sure the players will be ecstatic about after a long season.
Kick-off 8pm BST.