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Who will come out on top in the second Fifa Club World Cup semifinal?
Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe acrobatically scores against Borussa Dortmund in the Fifa Club World Cup quarterfinals. Picture: CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP
Paris St Germain face Real Madrid on Wednesday (kick off 9pm SA time) for the right to play Chelsea in the Fifa Club World Cup final.
Much of the talk ahead of this clash of two European titans has understandably centred around Kylian Mbappe, the French superstar striker who left PSG to join Real at the start of the 2024/25 season.
Mbappe’s departure from PSG for Real was a long-time coming and acrimonious to say the least. PSG at one point even left Mbappe out of their first team squad.
The player, meanwhile is reported to be attempting to recover 55 million Euros (about R1.1 billion) in bonuses he believes he is owed in unpaid bonuses.
Mbappe’s Champions League dismay
Mbappe did score 256 goals for PSG in six years, making him the club’s all-time leading goalscorer. He also won six Ligue 1 titles, but was not able to win the Champions League with the French giants.
There is no little irony in the fact that the season after Mbappe left, PSG did win the Champions League for the first time. Luis Enrique’s had a brilliant second half of the season, culminating in them mauling Inter Milan 5-0 in the Champions League final on May 31.
Mbappe scored 42 goals in all competitions his first season at Real, the most by any player in his debut season for Los Blancos. Real, however, lost the La Liga title to Barcelona, and were knocked out of the Champions League by Arsenal in the quarterfinals.
Carlo Ancelotti left Real at the end of the season and has been replaced by Xabi Alonso, whose first task is to lead Real to Fifa Club World Cup glory.
The 26 year-old Mbappe has not started a game yet for Real at the Club World Cup after suffering a bout of gastroenteritis.
He did come off the bench to score a typical poacher’s goal in the 3-2 win over Borussia Dortmund in the quarterfinals.
PSG favourites
Even with a fully fit Mbappe in Real’s ranks, PSG have to be favourites to win on Wednesday.
The current Betway odds have it as pretty tight, however, with PSG at 2.31, Real Madrid at 2.90, and a draw at 3.65.
