Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain's Equal Rival

NEW JERSEY, THURSDAY — Saving the best for last. This phrase aptly describes the final of the Club World Cup, which brought together Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Monday (14/7/2025) early morning WIB. The final match promises an exciting clash between two clubs with identical lineups and playing styles.

PSG secured a place in the final after defeating Spanish giant Real Madrid 4-0 at Metlife Stadium, New Jersey, United States, on Thursday (10/7/2025) early morning WIB. The success of advancing to the final brings PSG closer to perfection after successfully securing three major titles this season.

If they triumph again in the final of the Club World Cup, PSG will etch golden ink in the club's history by winning four prestigious trophies in a single season.

The problem is that PSG may not be able to win as easily as they did against Real in the semifinals. Chelsea, who will face PSG in the final, employs a nearly similar approach. Both teams indeed share several similarities, ranging from a relatively young squad to an aggressive playing style.

Based on FIFA data from the first round of the group stage of the Club World Cup, Chelsea is among the youngest teams to field starting players with an average age of 24.6 years. The composition of Chelsea's squad is similar to that of PSG, which recorded an average age of 24.9 years for its starting players.

The playing styles of both teams are quite similar. PSG, under the guidance of Luis Enrique, has transformed into a team full of determination, aggression, and skillful in pressing their opponents. The two early goals scored by PSG against Real, netted by Ousmane Dembele and Fabian Ruiz, were a result of their persistence in chasing the ball.

Like PSG, Chelsea also has a similar characteristic in the Club World Cup. Manager Enzo Maresca has made "The Blues" synonymous with a high-pressing playing style, quick transitions, and possession-based play with a focus on controlling the tempo of the game.

Such a playing style, as acknowledged by Maresca, is somewhat inspired by the glory of PSG, which won the UEFA Champions League by defeating Inter Milan five goals to none in the final match.

"The Champions League final demonstrated the dominance of a young team, capable of playing a technically sound system at breakneck speed, full of energy, constantly running, pressing, and full of attacking talent. Luis Enrique has built a spectacular PSG. In my own way, I'm trying to do the same at Chelsea," Maresca said, as quoted by Corriere della Sera.

Coincidentally, the journeys of PSG and Chelsea to the final are quite similar. Both teams secured victories in their opening matches. However, they ultimately suffered defeats in their second matches. PSG was surprisingly defeated by Botafogo, while Chelsea was unable to tame Flamengo.

The defeat ultimately became just a minor blemish in the illustrious journey of PSG and Chelsea towards the final match. Shortly after the loss, PSG and Chelsea consistently performed well, continuing to secure victories up to the semifinals.

Despite having many similarities, PSG remains favored to emerge as champions. One of the considerations is their solid defense throughout the tournament. So far, PSG is the only team that has conceded a goal only once.

On the other hand, Chelsea is still striving to find the best defensive shape considering they have already conceded five goals up to the semifinals. However, Chelsea, with its young players who have an unrelenting desire to press, will provide a strong challenge for PSG. "Les Parisiens" will finally face a worthy opponent.

The relentless pressing style of play and discipline in guarding the defensive line have also been key to PSG's solid defense. So dominant were they that the PSG players, led by Ousmane Dembele, Fabian Ruiz, and Vitinha, barely allowed Real any opportunities to develop their game.

Throughout the match, Real was only able to take 11 shots, with only two on target. This figure stands in stark contrast to PSG, which had seven shots on goal out of a total of 17 attempts.

"I think both teams did great. We're in a special moment, a special season, and I think we deserved to win. It's another step against a good team, against Chelsea. We want to make history for the club," said Enrique, as quoted by TNT Sports.

Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder, Andros Townsend, expressed an intriguing statement to describe PSG under Enrique's management this season. According to him, Enrique has created a monster that is difficult for any team to stop.

Townsend's depiction of PSG's quality is not exaggerated considering that PSG has consistently been able to achieve decisive victories against major teams at crucial moments, such as when they defeated Inter 5-0 in the Champions League final. Real, in the end, was not spared from PSG's ferocity.

Whoever wins the final match, Chelsea and PSG can already smile broadly. This is because the finalist teams will at least secure earnings of 30 million US dollars (approximately 486 billion IDR). In addition, successfully advancing to the final is not a trivial achievement for a tournament that has expanded in scale.