PSG - Atletico Madrid 15-05-25

The Club World Cup is being presented with a bang across the pond. The tournament appears in a new uniform, and the prize money is big. Various teams from every nook and cranny are participating, and we won't try to explain who is in it all at once and why. Because here we have a real soup of teams and criteria. If you won the Champions League a handful of years ago and you come from a city that starts with a vowel, and has horizontal stripes on the shirt, you can expect an invitation in the mail. The consequence will be an extended season, greater workload, and even more travel. Yes, these players are paid enough, but at some point you have to wake up and realize that you are preying on people. An athlete consists of more than muscles and football boots, and if the mental, interpersonal relationships of each individual, as well as the need for recovery and relaxation are not taken care of, then we will have some unfortunate consequences. For a further introduction, take a look at my co-author's analysis of Bayern - Auckland City here .

PSG – The team that aimed for the stars and hit

Well, first the stars left. Then they hit the target the following season. An adventure from start to finish. And let it be said, the football PSG has delivered this season, especially in the spring, is the very definition of the game we all love. For some performances, and for what a powerful appearance they showed against half of England. The Premier League teams were swept away, and Inter must still be dizzy. The Champions League final is just a matter of taking your hat off. We analyzed that PSG would be favorites by a fair margin in the big match, but that there would be such a big difference in strength probably took most people a little by surprise. First and foremost Inter. New stars are born in Paris, and the team is full of pillars. The full-backs are by far the best in the world at the moment, and did anyone see Mendes against Yamal in the Nations League final? I don't know if the Spanish shooting star dared to challenge the Portuguese even once. The ball was brought forward, Mendes got in the way, and Yamal hit the back. That really says it all. PSG's attacking line has been discussed in detail recently, so we'll leave that aside for now. Pure quality.

Dembele is injured and will not be in this tournament. Barcola is healthy after a small knock, and the other guys are all ready for new matches. PSG plays football every day, and scores an absurd number of goals. Now you probably don't want to press any of these for 90 minutes, but just half an hour can be enough. Not only that, the depth of this squad has been successfully demonstrated. PSG have many strings to play on, and will probably have to accept being favorites to take the whole thing. The world's best club team in 2025.

Atletico Madrid – A number too small compared to Barca and Madrid

That's how it was this season. Once again, little brother. It's not good to have to compete with Barcelona and Real Madrid though. The attraction of these two is enormous, and the talents are emerging continuously. A difficult league to assert yourself in, so you must be quite satisfied with having secured Champions League tickets for next season by a good margin. Atletico is the sixth best team from Europe based on the set criteria.

Julian Alvarez is a hot potato when the transfer circus has slowly started to bubble. Liverpool, Arsenal, Bayern and more are longing for the Argentine, but it is questionable whether he will not stay in Madrid when the autumn comes anyway. He never quite got it right at Manchester City, or rather, he was not invested in to a large extent. One can be wise in hindsight and point out that City would have delivered a much stronger season if this guy had still been on the payroll. There was a bit too much Haaland or nothing there in the yard. A player to keep an eye on over the next couple of weeks. There is also our own Alexander Sørloth. The super substitute scores a hat-trick for fun, and with scoring for the national team, again, his confidence must be in decent shape. Not that he seems to be struggling with it. The question is whether this tournament can't mean a little more playing time for the Norwegian, and a great opportunity to consolidate himself in this team. The gauntlet is thrown down, Sørloth.

Overall, the Spaniards will be coming with a full squad. The season has been long, and there are probably several players who need careful training. How this will play out in terms of lineups is difficult to say, but there will probably be some rotation. Whether the squad lives up to its name with such an entry will be interesting to follow, but it is questionable whether the eager French can't be too hot on Sunday. Regardless of who starts for the reigning Champions League champions, the opponent's defense will have a hard time. The task may be in the biggest team.

Conclusion – A lot of uncertainty, but speed, we'll get it!

The match probably shows that summer is upon us. The tempo slows down, there are many substitutions, and players are rested. The squads are used to their full potential, and the second best get a golden opportunity to show off. Are the second best at PSG better than the second best at Atleti? We think they are. When you add that PSG will of course also throw in some of their aces, yes, then we think a couple of goals will be scored – again. The Parisians have a habit of letting the ball roll quickly in the long direction, and with guys like Doue and Kvaratskhelia we know what we can get. The good feeling from the start of the season is probably still there, and when you believe in yourself and know you can, you suddenly walk on clouds for a while longer.

We are therefore taking a reasonable approach here, and going for a couple of PSG goals. That they will be able to produce enough chances to put the ball in the net at least twice during the 90 seems likely, and even with turnovers the game seems solid. We saw what the substitutes in the Champions League final could do, and with that we are betting over 1.5 goals for the home team in the match.

FIFA WCC at 21:00: PSG - Atletico Madrid: Over 1.5 goals for PSG (1.75)

Alternative game:

FIFA WCC at 21:00: PSG - Atletico Madrid: BTS + Over 2.5 goals (2.05)