Shadows of Surprise Between the Three Giants

Eight of the best teams remain in the 2025 Club World Cup. The top three seeds, namely Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid, will compete against each other for a spot in the final. One of these three teams has the opportunity to face a non-European club that is highly ambitious to deliver a surprise.

PSG, the reigning champion of the UEFA Champions League for the 2024-2025 season, will face Bayern, who are beginning to rediscover their championship form under the management of Vincent Kompany. The clash between the two teams on Saturday (5/7/2025) at 23:00 WIB at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta is set to determine which team will advance to the semifinals.

Of the four matches in the quarter-finals, the encounter between PSG and Bayern, the champions of their respective leagues this season, is most aptly referred to as an early final. In terms of squad quality, both teams are very evenly matched.

Their journey in the 2025 Club World Cup has earned both teams the status of favorites. PSG remains the team with the best defense. Only Botafogo has managed to score a goal against the squad coached by Luis Enrique.

Four teams that have already faced "Les Parisiens," only three teams have been able to make goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma make saves. Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, and Inter Miami are the teams that have managed to test the Italian national team's goalkeeper.

That solid defense is inseparable from the offensive and aggressive play of Vitinha and his teammates. The collection of 72 percent ball possession per match proves that PSG never allows opponents to have long periods to control the ball.

They are also recorded as the most effective team in the US. A total of 10 goals scored by PSG came from 14 significant opportunities they created.

The balance of play has become an important asset for PSG in facing Bayern, who have yet to encounter a tough opponent. In addition, PSG has once again demonstrated collective performance.

This is evidenced by the seven players who have scored goals. Achraf Hakimi and Joao Neves each contributed two goals, while Vitinha, Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, Fabian Ruiz, Lee Kang-in, and Senny Mayulu have each found the net once.

"Every manager in the world wants to play in a collective manner. Football is not an individual sport, so we need to have the best individual qualities to deliver a good team performance," said Luis Enrique as reported by the FIFA website.

Regarding his preparations to face Bayern, he emphasized the football philosophy that the Les Parisiens squad must uphold. "The most important thing we do as a team is to play together with and without the ball in pursuit of the best results," he added.

Bayern has indeed become the most productive team in the quarter-finals, but 10 out of the 16 goals scored came when facing the amateur team champion of Oceania, Auckland City, in the opening match.

On the other hand, Bayern is heavily reliant on the sharpness of their three forwards, each of whom has scored three goals. They are Harry Kane, Jamal Musiala, and Michael Olise.

In addition to goals, both Olise and Kane have also contributed assists. Olise created two assists, while Kane has provided one assist for his teammate's goal.

Similar to PSG, Bayern also plays an attacking style with an average possession rate of 66.5 percent per game. This record is only surpassed by PSG and two teams that have been eliminated, Manchester City and Inter Milan.

One of the biggest challenges that Kane and his teammates must address when facing PSG is avoiding wasted opportunities. "Die Roten" is the team with the second most missed big chances. They have squandered 13 opportunities that should have resulted in goals.

In addition, they also need to improve their defense line, which has only kept a clean sheet once. Nevertheless, Bayern has the experience of having previously defeated PSG in the fifth match of the Champions League group stage this season.

"We know the quality of the opponent (PSG) that we are facing. We will analyze our own strengths and those of the opponent. Hopefully, we can have good momentum in the game later," said Bayern's goalkeeper and captain, Manuel Neuer, as reported on the club's website.

The winner of the duel between PSG and Bayern has a great chance to meet Real Madrid in the semifinals. Real will repeat the final match of the 2023-2024 UEFA Champions League against Borussia Dortmund on Sunday (6/7/2025) at 03:00 WIB, at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey.

Gradually, under Xabi Alonso, Real has demonstrated the quality of their gameplay. Three victories and one draw have helped "Los Blancos" to be favored over Dortmund to reach the semifinals.

"I know Dortmund well. Together with Niko (Kovac), they finished the season better. The quarter-final opponent will certainly be a good team, so we must prepare ourselves well," said Alonso, who is already accustomed to facing Dortmund during his two seasons coaching Bayer Leverkusen in the German League.

Given the current situation in the bracket, a team that can reach the final among PSG, Real, or Bayern will be favored to clinch the trophy of the inaugural tournament conceived by FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

Meanwhile, in another knockout phase bracket, Chelsea is surrounded by three teams from outside Europe. "The Blues" will face the Brazilian representative, Palmeiras. The winner of that duel will meet the two teams that eliminated Inter Milan and Man City, namely Fluminense (Brazil) and Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia).

If we refer to the performances up to the round of 16, the ideal semifinal match in this bracket would be a duel between Chelsea and Al Hilal. Although Chelsea has not yet performed exceptionally, they are beginning to understand how to win under Enzo Maresca. A record of 10 goals and two games without conceding has become Chelsea's strength.

Al Hilal demonstrates that the Saudi club, which gathers players from Europe, is not an ordinary team. The owner of 19 Saudi League titles held Real Madrid to a draw and eliminated Manchester City, marking their quality that should not be underestimated.

Moreover, Al Hilal is coached by Simone Inzaghi, who arrived in Saudi Arabia after leading Inter to two Champions League finals in the last three seasons.

In general, Chelsea is surrounded by three teams that prioritize pragmatic play. Chelsea averages 62.8 percent ball possession per match. Meanwhile, Al Hilal, Palmeiras, and Fluminense recorded ball possession of no more than 46 percent per game.

As a result, Chelsea's journey is not only to uphold the dignity of the English League in the world tournament, but they will also determine the potential for surprises in the final match in New Jersey on July 14.