Alonso's Real Madrid without a chance: Magnificent PSG collective humiliates Madrid

East Rutherford. Xabi Alonso watched helplessly from his coaching zone as Real Madrid was humiliated by a magnificent Champions League winner, Paris Saint-Germain, at the Club World Cup. In the second semifinal of the tournament in the USA, the 77,542 spectators at MetLife Stadium outside New York witnessed another demonstration of power from France's top team as the two victors of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund battled it out 4-0 (3-0).

PSG now enters Sunday's final (9 p.m. CEST) against Chelsea as the clear favorite. In addition to the winner's trophy, likely in the presence of US President Donald Trump, the match will also feature a $40 million jackpot as a success bonus for the winner. Chelsea beat Fluminense of Rio de Janeiro 2-0 in the first semifinal on Tuesday.

Thirty-nine days after their 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in the Champions League final in Munich, the wonderfully harmonious team from Paris triumphed in a one-sided match. Brilliant midfielder Fabián Ruiz (6th/24th minute) and former Dortmund player Ousmane Dembélé (24th) sealed the deal early on with their goals. Substitute Gonçalo Ramos added the final touch (87th minute).

Germany's defensive leader Antonio Rüdiger also played sloppy in the powerless Real Madrid team. Following a mistake by his teammate Raul Asencio on the first goal, he was responsible for the 0-2 defeat. Rüdiger missed the ball while attempting a back pass to goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, and Dembélé accepted the gift.

What a royal disaster! PSG coach Luis Enrique had feared in his press conference the night before that the kickoff time in the New York afternoon heat might not be "good for the show" on the pitch.

But for the PSG collective he created, one that celebrates football with passion and brilliance, it was still showtime against an Alonso team consisting of eleven individual players lacking a sense of community. Kylian Mbappé didn't make a dent against his former club. A shot with his right foot flew over PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma's goal like an American football field goal (53'). And Vinícius Junior? The Brazilian mostly acted like a diva at walking pace.

“It is difficult to analyse this Real Madrid under Xabi Alonso,” Enrique said of the still developing style of play of the Royals under Alonso, who has only just begun his work in Madrid after leaving Bayer Leverkusen.

But Enrique's team exposed all their weaknesses – tactically, in terms of movement, and play. Spain's record champions offered nowhere near the resistance that PSG experienced in their 2-0 win against FC Bayern, in which national player Jamal Musiala suffered a serious leg injury after a violent collision with goalkeeper Donnarumma last Saturday in Atlanta.

RND/dpa