Paris Saint-Germain is now fixed. While they will fly to Doha (Qatar) early next week, Luis Enrique and his men know that they will meet Flamengo in the final of the Intercontinental Cup on December 17 at the Al-Rayyan Stadium (6 p.m.). The Brazilian club won 2-0 this Saturday in the semi-finals against the Egyptians of Pyramids, validating its ticket for the grand final of this tournament bringing together each year the winners of the equivalent of the Champions League on each continent.
A bleak prospect for the Spanish coach of PSG, very wary this Saturday following the success against Metz in Ligue 1 (2-3): “The Intercontinental Cup? “It’s a very important objective,” he said at a press conference.
“Unfortunately, we are going to play against one of the best teams in this competition. They have a very good team, we saw their qualities last summer during the Club World Cup. It will be a very close match, with a lot of difficulties because they have quality players, both technically and physically, with experience. He will be a very difficult opponent. »
Undivided domination over South America
It must be said that Flamengo, also winner of Cruz Azul in the quarter-finals (1-2), arrived in the Gulf full of confidence. The Rio de Janeiro club is coming off a historic season during which it achieved the Brazilian Championship – Copa Libertadores double for the first time since 2019.
Under the orders of Filipe Luis, the former Atlético Madrid and Chelsea defender, Mengão reigned supreme over the Brazilian Serie A, losing only five matches in 38 days. Its domination on the South American continent was just as great: to win the fourth Libertadores in its history – the third in seven years – Flamengo had an almost perfect run, conceding only two goals in the seven matches of the final phase.
In his squad, Filipe Luis, considered one of the most promising coaches in the country, can rely on numerous players referenced in Europe. Starting with Jorginho, the ex-Chelsea midfielder, cornerstone of Italy’s success at Euro 2021. At Flamengo, the Brazilian by birth rubs shoulders with Danilo, the former Juventus and Real Madrid defender, author of the decisive goal in the Copa Libertadores final against Palmeiras on November 29 (0-1).
A successful Club World Cup
The left lane is regularly animated by Alex Sandro and Samuel Lino, who enjoyed the glory days of Juve and Atlético during their European careers. Jumble, Saúl Niguez, Emerson Royal and former Lille player Luiz Araujo are also among the well-known names. But the team’s most important player is undoubtedly Uruguay international Giorgian de Arrascaeta. Responsible for Flamengo’s game, the attacking midfielder is coming off a full season, with 23 goals and 18 assists in all competitions. This old-fashioned No. 10 has already left his mark on the Intercontinental Cup, since he was involved in all the achievements scored by his team in Qatar (2 goals, 2 assists).
If PSG obviously remains superior on paper, its future opponent has already had the opportunity to prove its worth against European-level opposition during the Club World Cup last summer. In the United States, the Brazilian champion won a prestigious victory against Chelsea, the future winner, during the group stage (3-1) before falling armed in the round of 16 against Bayern Munich (4-2).
Paris has been warned: if it wants to win a sixth title and make its 2024-2025 season even more historic, it will have to fight hard.
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