João Neves struck twice as Paris Saint-Germain delivered a dominant performance to dismantle Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami 4-0 in the Club World Cup round of 16 clash on Sunday.
Facing his former club where he spent two seasons before joining Major League Soccer, Messi endured a frustrating night as the reigning European champions outclassed Inter Miami in front of 65,574 spectators at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
PSG wasted little time asserting control. Neves opened the scoring in just the sixth minute with a header at the back post from a well-placed free kick. The Portuguese midfielder doubled his tally in the 39th minute, paving the way for a total collapse by Inter Miami before halftime.
A defensive blunder led to an own goal, followed by Achraf Hakimi’s strike in stoppage time, sending PSG into the break with a commanding 4-0 lead.
The emphatic victory mirrored PSG's recent 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan in the Champions League final, which secured the club's maiden European crown and solidified their status as favorites in the expanded Club World Cup.
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Despite scattered chants of “Messi! Messi! Messi!” from the pink-clad Inter Miami fans, the Argentine legend struggled to make an impact. PSG's relentless pressing left Messi isolated in midfield for most of the first half with limited possession.
Inter Miami's clearest opportunity came early in the second half when Luis Suárez broke free down the flank but misfired, visibly frustrated as he kicked a water bottle in anger.
Messi eventually registered the team's first shot on target in the 63rd minute, easily handled by PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Messi's best chance came with about 10 minutes remaining, forcing a diving save from Donnarumma as PSG kept their third clean sheet of the tournament.
PSG now advances to face Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals next Saturday in Atlanta. The German side beat Flamengo of Brazil 4-2 in their round of 16 encounter.
Key Moment:
While European giants initially expressed little enthusiasm for the added tournament workload, PSG showed their intent from the opening whistle, seeking to cap their historic season with another title.
Takeaways:
Despite boasting veterans like Messi and Suárez, Inter Miami could not match the European champions' intensity. PSG dominated with 73% first-half possession and a 10-0 shot advantage, including six on target.
They said it:
“We had a very good game. We didn’t stop. We kept playing our game. It was a positive day for us,” said Neves.
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“The first half was kind of like a bloodbath... But I am very proud of my team and what we have accomplished,” Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano told reporters via an interpreter.
Source: Agency