Achraf Hakimi celebrates with Bradley Barcola after scoring PSG's second goal
Paris Saint-Germain sealed their place in the Round of 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup (CWC), as the French side won 2-0 against Seattle Sounders. 00
Despite dominating proceedings against their North American opposition, the European champions were indebted to fortune for the slim lead that they took into the HT break.
When the breakthrough eventually came, it was from a huge deflection off Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, as the Georgian inadvertently put his side in the lead when he found himself in the path of a wayward Vitinha shot.
The goal proved to be the culmination of a period of pressure that saw Stefan Frei make a string of saves, most notably acrobatically denying D9sir9 Dou9 after the French youngster rifled a shot towards the top corner.
Key stats
While the Sounders’ attacking presence was limited in the first half, they failed to take advantage of a Gianluigi Donnarumma gift that gave them the chance to take the lead inside the opening 20 minutes.
The Italian goalkeeper dallied on the ball outside of his box, before putting a tame pass into the path of Seattle striker JesFAs Ferreira, but he blasted a long way over from a tight angle.
It was a similarly dominant opening to the second half for Luis Enrique’s men, but after their surprise loss to Botafogo last week, a one-goal lead still left them perilously close to exiting the tournament.
Goal Sequence
When Les Parisiens eventually got the breathing space of a second goal, it came from a ruthless counter attack, as a rare Sounders attack broke down and Dou9 found himself unmarked in midfield.
The Frenchman found substitute Bradley Barcola, whose low cross into the box was met by the marauding Achraf Hakimi, who placed the ball beyond Frei to seal his team’s passage to the knockout stages.
It was a gruelling final 30 minutes for the MLS side, who admirably chased shadows in the midday sun, but were defeated long before referee Cristi1n Garay blew the final whistle to draw the match to an end.
Momentum
Despite failing to get a point in the group stage, Cristian Roldan almost gave the home crowd the moment they had been waiting for in the final minute, but the midfielder’s stunning long-range strike went just wide of Donnarumma’s post in the final act of the Sounders’ CWC campaign.
_______________________________________________
Sponsored:
FIFA Club World Cup - Every Game Free, exclusively on DAZN.
Sign up here to start streaming.
_______________________________________________
[(Shimizu S-Pulse) Weakness]: 1. Shimizu S-Pulse are 13th in the J1 League table. Facing 2nd-placed Kashima Antlers, they will find it hard to win this match due to their declining form, indicating doubtful motivation.2. Shimizu S-Pulse defender Yuji Takahashi and forward Sena Saito will miss this league game due to injuries.3. Shimizu S-Pulse were winless with 2 draws and 3 losses in the last 5 g...
Liverpool table fresh Guehi bidAccording to The Athletic, Liverpool have submitted a fresh bid worth £35 million ($47m) to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. The Reds had earlier seen two bids rejected by the Eagles, but they remain hopeful that this time the offer will be accepted.Fenerbahce eyeing move for EdersonTurkish Super Lig giants Fenerbahce are eyeing a move for out-of-favour Manc...
Roma medical for Liverpool fullback TsimikasAS Roma are holding a medical for Kostas Tsimikas today.The Liverpool fullback is leaving Anfield after finding himself third-choice this season behind fellow left-backs Andrew Robertson and Milos Kerkez.La Gazzetta dello Sport says the Greece international is expected in Italy today to finalise his move.Tsimikas will undergo a medical ahead of signing a...
FBL-ENG-PR-CHELSEA-FULHAMMarco Silva has demanded an explanation from the Premier League after lambasting three "shocking" refereeing decisions in Fulham's 2-0 Premier League loss at Chelsea.WHAT HAPPENED?The Whites thought they had taken the lead against their west London rivals Chelsea when 18-year-old Josh King coolly slotted past Robert Sanchez. However, the goal was chalked off by referee Rob...
[(Shonan Bellmare) Strength]: 1. Shonan Bellmare are one of the bottom teams in the table, taking 25 points and being in the relegation zone. They are strongly motivated to grab points.[(Shonan Bellmare) Neutral]: 1. Shonan Bellmare drew the last 4 home games, revealing mediocre home performances.[(Shonan Bellmare) Weakness]: 1. Shonan Bellmare lost 1-0 to Fagiano Okayama on the road in the last g...
Manchester United Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Europa League Final 2025Chelsea have completed the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United.WHAT HAPPENED?Garnacho has signed a seven-year contract with the Blues after the two Premier League clubs agreed a deal worth a fixed £40 million fee ($54m) with a 10 per cent sell-on clause, Goal understands. The 21-year-old ha...
Marc Guehi Crystal Palace 2025-26Liverpool have launched a fresh bid for Marc Guehi as they hope that Crystal Palace will finally accept their proposal and agree to sell their star defender before the summer transfer window closes on Monday. The Reds have been linked with a move for the England international throughout the summer and the champions are determined to secure his signature.WHAT HAPPEN...
West Ham United v Lille OSC - Pre-Season FriendlyAston Villa are close to signing West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta on an initial loan with an obligation to buy next summer.WHAT HAPPENED?Villa are on the brink of agreeing a £47 million (€54m/$63m) package for Paqueta which includes a loan fee and add-ons, according to Fabrizio Romano. The report also states the 28-year-old has ac...
[(Nagoya Grampus) Strength]: 1. Nagoya Grampus currently have only 28 points and are near the bottom of the league table. To avoid relegation, they need to earn points.[(Nagoya Grampus) Neutral]: 1. Nagoya Grampus' 7 successive games ended with OVER.[(Nagoya Grampus) Weakness]: 1. Nagoya Grampus lost 2-4 to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in their last Emperor's Cup game, with poor performance.2. In the lates...
Cody Gakpo Liverpool 2025Premier League champions Liverpool have confirmed that star attacker Cody Gakpo has put pen to paper on a new long-term contract, which has extended his stay at Anfield beyond 2028. The Dutchman who joined the club in January 2023, during the Jurgen Klopp era, has established himself as a regular starter under new boss Arne Slot and has now committed his future to the Reds...
- 1 Arsenal or Chelsea to win Premier League? Week 2 overreactions
- 2 TIPS - Puebla FC VS Monterrey
- 3 TIPS - Liverpool VS Arsenal
- 4 TIPS - Jeju SK FC VS Gwangju FC
- 5 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 6 Liverpool table fresh Marc Guehi bid as Reds hope £35m proposal will finally convince Crystal Palace to sell centre-back
- 7 TIPS - Nagoya Grampus VS FC Tokyo
- 8 TIPS - US Cremonese VS US Sassuolo Calcio
- 9 TIPS - Pisa SC VS AS Roma
- 10 Kobbie Mainoo Informs Manchester United of Desire to Leave on Loan