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Spanish side Atletico Madrid are the first European heavyweights to be eliminated from the FIFA Club World Cup as Brazilian outfit Botafogo caused a Group B boilover.
Atletico took the three points against Botafogo on Tuesday morning Australian time with Antoine Griezmann scoring an 87th minute goal to hand them a 1-0 win in front of 22,992 fans at the sweltering Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
The La Liga side needed two more goals however, as the victory put Atletico, Botafogo and UEFA Champions League winners PSG level on six points, but Atletico’s inferior goal difference ensured they will be heading home from the United States earlier than expected.
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Atletico ultimately paid the price for a 4-0 drubbing against PSG in their opening game of the tournament with the goal difference sitting at -1 after three games, while Botafogo’s shock 1-0 upset of the Parisian giants paved their way into the Round of 16.
Botafogo’s goal difference was 1, as PSG comfortably saw off MLS outfit Seattle Sounders 2-0 to book top spot in the group.
Botafogo, the South American champions, started brightly against Atletico, with the lively Venezuelan international Jefferson Savarino testing Jan Oblak in the opening minutes.
Atletico though grew into the contest and controlled possession and territory as the first half wore on.
Argentina international striker Alvarez had a promising opening in the 41st minute, but saw his shot deflect off Botafogo centre-half Alexander Barboza for a corner.
Atletico thought they had made a crucial breakthrough on the stroke of half-time when Alvarez appeared to be kicked in the penalty area, prompting a penalty check by the video assistant referee.
But while Alvarez appeared to be fouled, the review spotted a foul on Barboza in the build-up and no penalty was given.
With time running out in the second half, Atletico spent long periods camped in Botafogo territory with the Brazilians seemingly content to soak up pressure.
The side from Rio de Janeiro came closest to breaking the deadlock on 67 minutes, with Igor Jesus’s first-time volley from Cuiabano’s cross parried away by Oblak for a corner.
Yet in the closing stages Griezmann grabbed what turned out to be the winning goal, taking advantage of poor marking to tuck away Alvarez’s whipped cross — but it was too little, too late for them.
PSG EASE PAST SEATTLE
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Achraf Hakimi scored either side of half-time as European champions Paris Saint-Germain eased to a 2-0 win over Seattle Sounders on Monday to secure their place in the last 16 of the Club World Cup.
PSG needed to bounce back from their 1-0 loss at the hands of Botafogo in their last Group B outing and they were too strong for the MLS side without ever really playing to their full potential.
Kvaratskhelia deflected a wayward Vitinha shot into the net to open the scoring on 35 minutes in front of 50,628 fans at Lumen Field, Sounders’ home stadium.
Hakimi then made it 2-0 just before the midway point in the second half to kill off any prospect of a comeback by the hosts.
PSG are through to the next round and advance as group winners on goal difference, climbing up from second place because of Botafogo’s late defeat at the hands of Atletico Madrid at the same time in Pasadena.
The French champions will now go through to a tie against the Group A runners-up in Atlanta on Sunday, as they leave the west coast for the first time since arriving in the United States.
Paris coach Luis Enrique made four changes to his line-up following the defeat at the hands of Botafogo, with captain Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves all coming in.
However Ousmane Dembele, their top scorer during the European season just finished with 33 goals in all competitions, played no part for a third game running after travelling to the tournament with an injury.
The Sounders needed a big win combined with a defeat for Atletico to progress to the last 16, something which was always going to be a big ask for the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League winners.
They didn’t have the quality to overly trouble PSG, who saw Desire Doue threaten early on with a powerful shot that was tipped over by home goalkeeper Stefan Frei.
A mistake by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma at the other end gifted a chance to the home side, but it was not an easy one for Jesus Ferreira and he fired off-target.
The UEFA Champions League winners got the opening goal 10 minutes before the interval when the ball came out to Vitinha on the edge of the area and his attempt took a rather lucky touch off the back of Kvaratskhelia to find the net.
The second goal arrived on 66 minutes after Doue played a delightful pass out to the wing for Bradley Barcola and the substitute cut in from the left before setting up Hakimi to control and slot in his 10th goal since the season began.
