Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) won 2-0 against Bayern Munich on Saturday to reach the semi-finals of the Club World Cup, despite finishing the match with only nine men.
Gatekeepers News reports that goals from young sensation Desire Doue and returning star Ousmane Dembele ensured the French champions overcame the German giants in a high-stakes clash at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
In an emotionally charged atmosphere, both teams observed a minute of silence for Liverpool striker Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, who passed away in a tragic car crash on Thursday.
The moment held deep meaning for PSG, who had five Portuguese players in their lineup, including Vitinha, Joao Neves, and Nuno Mendes.
Despite Bayern’s recent dominance over PSG including four straight wins, the most recent a 1-0 Champions League result, Luis Enrique’s men turned the tide.
Bayern lost Jamal Musiala to an ankle injury just before halftime and welcomed back Musiala from a calf problem, while PSG started without Dembele, who’s recovering from a quadriceps issue.
Desire Doue came close early, while Donnarumma had to deny Michael Olise twice and stay sharp to stop a near-own goal.
Bayern had their chances, including a Harry Kane header that missed narrowly and a disallowed goal by Dayot Upamecano for offside.
The turning point came in the second half. After a tense stalemate, Luis Enrique introduced Dembele to tilt the balance, and he nearly scored after intercepting a misplaced pass from Neuer. Doue scored a goal firing a low shot past Neuer after a turnover by Kane set PSG on the counter.
Tensions rose in the closing minutes. Willian Pacho was shown a red card for a dangerous tackle on Leon Goretzka, and Lucas Hernandez followed him off minutes later for an elbow.
Dembele, having earlier hit the crossbar, finally sealed the win in stoppage time, finishing off a move by Achraf Hakimi and honoring the late Jota with his trademark video game celebration.
PSG will face either Real Madrid or Borussia Dortmund in Wednesday’s semi-final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
