Paris Saint-Germain steamrollered Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami 4-0 to reach the Club World Cup quarter-finals on Sunday as the European champions proved too strong for a team of ageing stars.
Miami hoped the Argentine superstar’s magic could help them produce an unlikely result against his former club, but the Major League Soccer side were dismantled in Atlanta by Luis Enrique’s rampant team.
Messi and his former Barcelona teammates Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba had done well to reach the last 16 but the gulf in quality between the teams was laid bare over the 90 minutes.
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Joao Neves netted twice for PSG, who benefited from a Tomas Aviles own goal, while Achraf Hakimi was also on target.
After Neves opened the scoring early on Miami resisted until PSG hit three goals in 10 minutes towards the end of the first half.
“We had to play a serious game, the competition is really starting and I think we played well,” PSG winger Ousmane Dembele told reporters on his return from injury.
Messi was the main draw, as fans chanted his name and most of the 66,000 crowd were clad in Miami’s hot pink interspersed with Argentina shirts.
PSG dominated from the start, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia floating into the box and teeing up Bradley Barcola, but Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari thwarted him with an outstretched leg.
However shortly afterwards overrun Miami right-back Marcelo Weigandt fouled Desire Doue and it led to PSG’s opener.
Vitinha whipped a free-kick to the back post where Portuguese midfielder Neves ran in completely unmarked, stooping to nod past Ustari after six minutes.
With the Ligue 1 champions pressing high and keeping possession Javier Mascherano’s Miami found it hard to get Messi involved.
The 38-year-old’s intermittent interventions were not enough to hold back the Parisian tide.
PSG doubled their lead in the 39th minute when veteran holding midfielder Busquets got his footwork wrong in front of his own box.
Spanish compatriot Ruiz rapidly relieved him of the ball and combined with Barcola to set up Neves to tap home his second.
PSG grabbed their third when Aviles deflected Doue’s cross into his own net, and Hakimi netted the fourth before half-time to put PSG out of sight.
The Morocco international’s first effort was deflected onto the crossbar but he stayed alert at the air-conditioned Mercedes-Benz Stadium to fire home the rebound.
Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi lost his cool with a swipe aimed at Vitinha as the Argentine raged against the midfielder, Miami’s impotence and PSG’s swagger.
– Determined Messi –
Messi produced a brilliant pass for Suarez early in the second half, chipping a ball over the PSG defence, but the Uruguayan could not finish to offer Miami a lifeline.
Despite the impossibility of a comeback — there was to be no ‘remontada’ like the one Luis Enrique’s Barcelona managed in 2017 against PSG from four goals down in which Messi and Suarez scored — the Argentine was determined to bow out with a bang.
Messi drew a first save from PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma after the hour mark with a low effort.
Luis Enrique sent on Dembele for his first appearance at the tournament after a hamstring injury, but the Frenchman was rusty and imprecise.
When Suarez was fouled by Lucas Beraldo on the edge of the box Messi had the chance to repeat his free-kick winner against Porto in the group stage, but his effort hit the wall.
It was not to be for Messi or Miami, but their second-half performance was respectable and the defeat was by a lesser margin than the French side’s 5-0 Champions League final thrashing of Inter Milan.
“I think we were above the expectations people had for us (at the tournament), we were the best team in our group, obviously we were facing the best team in the world playing football right now, so it was difficult,” said Alba.
“Despite that in the first half we competed and above all we did in the second, we had more control of the game, more chances, and created more problems for PSG.” PSG will face Bayern Munich or Flamengo in the quarter-finals in Atlanta on Saturday.
BEATING MESSI’S MIAMI ‘HARDER THAN IT MAY SEEM’
Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique said defeating Lionel Messi and Inter Miami on Sunday was trickier than it seemed despite the French side’s 4-0 Club World Cup last 16 triumph.
Joao Neves’ early strike sent PSG ahead and then they scored three more in a flurry before half-time to take an unassailable lead.
Former PSG and Barcelona star Messi impressed in the second half as Miami battled well but could not find a way through.
“It is difficult to play against players of this calibre, it was difficult, but I think as a team we did an excellent job,” Luis Enrique told reporters.
“There’s a visible difference between the first and second halves… their quality is evident, and I think we deserved the victory.
“It was harder than it may seem, after the first half.” The Spanish coach said his PSG team, who won the Champions League, Ligue 1 and the French Cup to claim their first ever treble, are in spectacular form and are hoping to triumph in the United States.
“Clearly, we are experiencing a historic season for our club, we aim to go far in this competition,” continued Luis Enrique.
“We are in the quarter-finals, with only eight teams remaining. Our goal is to progress as far as possible and to compete for the trophy. But for that, we need to overcome two more knockout rounds.
“The season is very long, as it is for all teams, but the motivation to be competitive is there.”
PSG winger Ousmane Dembele said he was “glad to see” Messi and his former Barcelona teammates Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Javier Mascherano. “Leo is a unique person, to share a game with him was magnificent, I was a kid watching his magic on the television, so it’s unique,” said PSG defender Lucas Beraldo.
– ‘Reality’ hits –
Inter Miami coach Mascherano said he was pleased with his team’s performance at the tournament despite their eventual thrashing by PSG.
“We achieved the goal we had set for ourselves, we were very aware that we could compete up to a certain level, and today reality has shown that,” Mascherano told reporters.
“I am very proud of my players, of the work they did in the competition (…) we tried to show in each match what we could do. The gap is what it is, but I am very proud of them.” Mascherano said his Argentine compatriot Messi was able to show his quality despite the defeat.
“I think Leo played a great game, within the options we had. In the second half, we found him much more. In the first half, we couldn’t due to Paris’s pressure,” said the coach.
“They slowed their tempo in the second half, and we were able to show what we usually do in MLS (Major League Soccer).”
Despite PSG being arguably the best team in the world at the moment, the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta was filled with Inter Miami shirts, mostly with eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi’s number 10 on the back.
“PSG is in great form, champions of everything, but people still pay for a ticket to see Leo Messi, even at 38 years old,” added Mascherano.