Before, during and after December 17, 2025, the best team in the world was and will remain for eternity PSG. With forceps, pushed into overtime and penalties, the European champions managed to glean their sixth trophy of the year, an Intercontinental Cup with a French club on the list for the first time. They succeed Real Madrid and become of this caliber, at least for 2025, but they have the right to stretch this sudden happiness but built for two and a half years by Luis Enrique.
And Matvey Safonov, the goalkeeper chosen by Luis Enrique for four matches, becomes “unusable” from the eleven. He stopped four shots on goal in an already legendary session. His daunting feat will pose a headache for the coach but with his six titles, he can think about it calmly.
In a remake of the Club World Cup, with the defeat of the just European champions against Botafogo (1-0) in group play, the Parisians recalled that they hated Brazilian football and its club representatives, with its volume of rough duels, its angry mentality, its stubborn state of mind. Paris never gives up but each time it comes across a model in this area, with a supercharged team, capable of stopping its progress, for example by blocking its flanks, its domination in the middle of the field or by wearing it down in set phases.
Flamengo seemed to bide their time despite a remarkable start from Luis Enrique’s men, ultimately scoring at the end of the first period when an early opening would have seemed more logical. And Marquinhos, hero of old, well until May 31, offered a new gift to his opponents, a penalty, a month and a half after having “forgotten” Luis Diaz against Bayern Munich. The captain is suffering quite a bit of absence at the moment.
A conciliatory, even outdated, referee
PSG confirmed its current dispositions and its general difficulty in finishing matches. A notion that begins more or less late. In Bilbao, in Metz and this time against Flamengo, he did not lose but did not always win, each time the victim of an immense burst of pomp or an offensive inability to mark his superiority. The work of undermining, to remain nice, or rather the impact often at the limit under the eye of a conciliatory, even overwhelmed, referee, of the Brazilians ended up making up for the fragilities of PSG, already in the lead during the Christmas holidays. In any case, the legs after a Dantesque year 2025, served by the rollercoaster of emotions, are crying out for them. The break will do good, a refreshing and mental break that this Paris badly needs. To start 2026 like last year?
We will then have to see that there will be no recruit of the caliber of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. But the reinforcements will come from the infirmary, normally, with the returns in full possession of Ousmane Dembélé (entered in the 78th), the main attraction of the New Year, before further, recovering Achraf Hakimi. The return of Désiré Doué, starting for the first time since his reintegration into the group, showed the benefits for Luis Enrique’s game, considerably accelerated in the last thirty meters, with a dose of increased danger, where Senny Mayulu lacks bite. Le Titi had to replace Kang-In Lee after 34 minutes this Wednesday before giving up his place to finish with Bradley Barcola. The young midfielder still lacks depth in this type of meeting, at least up front. In construction, it remains valuable, like its shift for Doué which will lead to the Georgian’s goal.
Parisian supremacy will run through the entire game, with the most collective actions, the most situations, the most ideas but without materializing. And in the end, it’s Safonov who puts on the show.
