Tag: Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid hammered Copa del Rey holders Barcelona 4-0 on Thursday in the first leg of their semi-final.

After an Eric Garcia own goal sent Diego Simeone’s side ahead early on, Antoine Griezmann, Ademola Lookman and Julian Alvarez struck to give Atletico a landslide lead by half-time.

Barca defender Garcia was sent off in the final stages, with Atletico maintaining their significant advantage on the record 32-time winners, which they will take into the second leg at Camp Nou on March 3.

Both sides missed good chances in the second half, with Barca’s Pau Cubarsi having a goal disallowed before Garcia was sent off in the final stages.

Atletico were able to preserve their significant advantage on the record 32-time winners, which they will take into the second leg at Camp Nou on March 3.

“In the first 45 minutes, we got a great lesson for us. Sometimes it’s good to get (that) in the right moment, maybe today is the right moment,” Flick told reporters.

“The second half was much better, and we have one game more, and we will fight (to win) that.”

Well off the pace in La Liga and not showing the quality of a side likely to go deep in the Champions League, the Copa del Rey represents Atletico’s best chance of silverware this season.

With that motivation in mind, the Rojiblancos conjured the best football of their season to completely dismantle the Spanish champions in the first half, as the fans lapped it up.

“I think our fans need these games, they’ve been coming for years, pushing, they’re always there, they need big matches,” said Simeone.

“We had a great first half, reading the game very well, we were very efficient and calm in the final third.”

The hosts took the lead after seven minutes when Garcia’s pass, on the uneven Metropolitano stadium pitch, bobbled towards Joan Garcia and then under the goalkeeper’s foot and into the net.

Former Barcelona striker Griezmann slid home the second as Atletico breached the Catalans’ high defensive line repeatedly, leaning on the pace of Giuliano Simeone and Lookman.

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Fermin Lopez hit the crossbar for Barcelona, but it was one-way traffic, and Atletico nearly got a third when Alvarez’s effort was cleared off the line by Jules Kounde.

Eventually, Nigeria international Lookman steered home the third at the end of a fine team move, with overjoyed Atletico coach Simeone racing down the touchline in celebration.

Having spent much of the season demanding his team take their chances more clinically, all of the Argentine’s dreams came true at once.

Alvarez, who had failed to score in his last 11 matches, ended his drought for Atletico’s fourth, ramming home from just inside the area.

“We all know how important Julian is for us; he showed it last season,” said Atletico midfielder Marcos Llorente.

“I’m really happy for his goal, I’m sure it will take a bit of the weight off.”

Atletico goalkeeper Juan Musso saved well from Lopez to keep his clean sheet at the interval.

Barcelona thought they had pulled one back in the second half when Pau Cubarsi netted, but it was controversially disallowed after a long VAR review for an apparent offside.

“I want to have the reason why it was offside,” Flick told Movistar. “I don’t know what they saw.”

With a few minutes remaining, the league leaders’ night got even worse when Eric Garcia was sent off for a foul on Alex Baena as he ran through.

Ferran Torres’s poor pass sold his team-mate short, and he clumsily felled the Atletico playmaker.

Alexander Sorloth and Torres spurned further chances at each end as the game kept its frantic pace until the end.

On Wednesday, Real Sociedad beat Athletic Bilbao 1-0 in the first leg of the other semi-final clash.

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Villarreal beat Espanyol 4-1 in La Liga on Monday at Estadio de la Cerámica, drawing them level on points with third-placed Atletico Madrid.

Goals by Georges Mikautadze, Nicolas Pepe and Alberto Moleiro, bolstered by an own goal by Jose Salinas, brought the Yellow Submarine to 45 points.

But Leandro Cabrera’s late consolation goal for the visitors stopped Villarreal from leapfrogging Atletico into third place.

Atletico lost to Real Betis on Sunday, offering Villarreal the chance to close the gap.

The Rojiblancos remain third with a superior goal difference of just one over Villarreal’s; however, the chasers boast a game in hand on Diego Simeone’s side.

A fourth consecutive defeat for Espanyol meant the Catalans trail fifth-placed Betis by four points but are still in position to qualify for the UEFA Conference League, albeit with just a one-point lead on chasing Celta Vigo.

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Georgian forward Mikautadze opened the scoring on 35 minutes with an acrobatic swivelling volley from close range after Tajon Buchanan’s knock-down.

Villarreal doubled their lead three minutes before the break as Salinas turned Moleiro’s square ball into his own net.

Pepe made it three less than five minutes into the second half when he danced past a challenge on the edge of the box and rifled low across the goalkeeper with his left foot.

Moleiro then got in on the act in the 55th minute with a fine curling finish after he found himself in acres of space in the Espanyol box at the end of a swift break forward.

Cabrera pulled one back for Espanyol in the 88th minute with a glancing header from a corner, but it was too little, too late as Manolo Gonzalez’s side continued to flounder.

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Antoine Griezmann scored a free-kick that helped Atletico Madrid squeeze past second-tier Deportivo La Coruna 1-0 on Tuesday to reach the Copa del Rey quarter-finals.

Veteran forward Griezmann’s perfectly-placed effort broke the deadlock in the 61st minute, as the sides met for the first time in nearly eight years.

Depor supporter Jimmy Romero was viciously beaten and left in the Manzanares river in Madrid by Atletico ultras 11 years ago, dying as a result of his injuries, and he was remembered by a banner behind one goal at the Galician side’s Riazor stadium.

The cup match had been declared a high-risk game, and Spanish media reported there were some moments of tension between supporters outside, which did not develop into serious incidents.

Off the pace in La Liga and after defeat by rivals Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup semi-finals last week, a win was vital for Atletico to boost their chances of some silverware this season.

Diego Simeone’s side ended up with nothing in their frustrating previous campaign.

French forward Antoine Griezmann, 34, struck the woodwork towards the end of the first half as Atletico Madrid dominated but could not find a way through.

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Simeone hooked out-of-form striker Julian Alvarez before the hour mark, with the Argentina international having scored only once in his last nine matches.

Shortly afterwards, Atletico took the lead, with Griezmann delicately curling a free-kick into the top right corner from just outside the area, and it proved decisive.

“He’s still got the magic that keeps him going and gives him the desire to still be helping the team, like he did with this goal,” said Simeone.

Elsewhere, Athletic Bilbao edged second-division Cultural Leonesa with a thrilling 4-3 win after extra time, despite having Aitor Paredes sent off in the 56th minute.

Real Sociedad and Osasuna drew 2-2, with the former progressing 4-3 on penalties.

Real Madrid, led by new coach Alvaro Arbeloa, visit Albacete on Wednesday and Copa del Rey holders Barcelona travel to face second division leaders Racing Santander on Thursday.

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Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 in a tight Spanish Super Cup semi-final in Saudi Arabia on Thursday to set up a Clasico final clash against rivals Barcelona.

Fede Valverde’s blistering free-kick and a Rodrygo Goes strike helped Madrid claim a fifth consecutive victory across all competitions, with Alexander Sorloth pulling one back for Diego Simeone’s Atletico, who came up short in Jeddah.

Alonso was close to the sack after a run of inconsistent form towards the end of 2025, but his team have slowly found their footing in the shape of positive results, even if some performances have not been entirely convincing.

The Spanish coach led Madrid to a win over Barcelona in his first Clasico at the helm in October, before his team began to slump.

With French superstar Kylian Mbappe out as he recovers from a knee sprain, Alonso kept young striker Gonzalo Garcia in the centre of the attack after his hat-trick against Real Betis on Sunday.

Atletico beat their city rivals 5-2 when the teams met in September in a La Liga derby but this was a far closer affair.

Los Blancos took the lead after just two minutes when Valverde’s ferocious free-kick flew past Sorloth in a poorly-positioned wall and rocketed past Jan Oblak.

The Norwegian Atletico forward might have done more to block it, and Oblak got his hand to the shot but could not keep it out because of the sheer power.

Valverde celebrated vehemently, slapping his own head, clearly delighted at breaking his duck in a difficult season to date.

By taking the lead, Real Madrid earned the right to sit deeper and force Atletico to try and attack them to pull back level.

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Madrid hit the Rojiblancos when they could on the counter, with Oblak saving well from Rodrygo after he floated inside from the right.

Atletico began to create some chances and could have pulled level before the interval.

Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois tipped away Sorloth’s header, and then the target man clumsily nodded Conor Gallagher’s cross off-target from close range.

Rodrygo extended Madrid’s lead in the 55th minute with his third goal in five games, continuing a rich vein of form across the past few weeks after a run where he failed to score for 32 games straight.

The Brazilian found a gap to burst through in the middle of Atletico’s defence and kept his cool to sweep the ball past Oblak.

Three minutes later, Atletico hit back, with Sorloth finally finding the net with a header from Giuliano Simeone’s cross.

The striker gave defender Raul Asencio just enough of a shove to put him off without being penalised for it before nodding in.

The Atletico coach goaded Madrid winger Vinicius Junior when he was substituted, with the Brazilian failing to score for a 16th consecutive game.

Real Madrid face Barcelona on Sunday in the final at the King Abdullah Sports City stadium after the Catalans thrashed Athletic Bilbao 5-0 on Wednesday.

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Atletico Madrid could only manage a 1-1 draw at Real Sociedad on Sunday, leaving them 11 points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona.

Diego Simeone’s side pulled level with third-placed Villarreal on 38 points, but have played two more matches than them and lost more ground in the Spanish title race.

Alexander Sorloth headed Atletico ahead early in the second half, but Goncalo Guedes levelled five minutes later to secure Real Sociedad’s American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo a point in his first game at the helm.

Hosts Real Sociedad started well, with Mikel Oyarzabal firing narrowly wide from distance and Jan Oblak forced to tip away Brais Mendez’s drive.

Atletico, who have won just two of their last five league games, threatened sporadically, but the Basque side were on top and almost took the lead before half-time.

Rojiblancos striker Sorloth headed into his own net, but the goal was disallowed for offside against Mendez, who was standing in front of the Norwegian.

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Five minutes into the second half, Sorloth nodded into the same goal, this time to send his team ahead from Giuliano Simeone’s cross.

Conor Gallagher should have doubled Atletico’s lead but fired wide of the near post when through on goal and was soon punished for it.

Guedes levelled for Real Sociedad after Takefusa Kubo darted into the box and fired the ball across for the unmarked Portuguese winger to finish.

Oblak made a smart low save to thwart Kubo, and his opposite number, Alex Remiro, was also forced into action as Antoine Griezmann ran through but could only fire at the Spaniard from a tight angle.

Carlos Soler could have won it for La Real in stoppage time, but bent a shot agonisingly wide of the far post, leaving his team 15th.

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Barcelona produced an impressive comeback to beat Atletico Madrid 3-1 on Tuesday and move four points clear at the top of La Liga.

Alex Baena fired Atletico ahead, but Raphinha equalised for the champions before Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres slotted home to end the visitors’ run of 13 straight league games without defeat.

Barca might have been more comfortable had Robert Lewandowski not ballooned a first-half penalty over the bar at the partially rebuilt Camp Nou.

Real Madrid, second, visit Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday, aiming to peg Barcelona back, while Diego Simeone’s Atletico are fourth, six points behind the Catalans.

This was Barca’s fifth consecutive Liga win after losing the Clasico against Madrid in October, but they have not shone consistently in that period, and coming against a title rival, this display gave Flick’s side a welcome boost.

Barcelona were without defender Ronald Araujo, who is taking a mental health break according to Spanish reports, along with ill midfielder Frenkie de Jong and the longer-term absentees.

After a 3-0 thrashing at Chelsea last week in the Champions League, followed by a shaky win over Alaves to claim pole position in La Liga, nerves were jangling at Camp Nou.

Following a tense start, Atletico took the lead with, predictably, a ball in behind Barcelona’s persistently high defensive line.

Baena scampered through on goal and beat Joan Garcia, barely celebrating because he could sense the linesman’s raised flag behind him.

However, a VAR review showed the Spaniard was level with Pau Cubarsi when he broke, and the goal was reinstated.

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Barcelona responded rapidly and levelled in the 26th minute when Pedri, back fit to start, played in Raphinha.

The Brazilian winger, another player recently back from injury, took the ball around Jan Oblak and slid it into the empty net.

Barcelona should have taken the lead, but Lewandowski spurned a penalty, blazing high and wide of Oblak’s goal after Pablo Barrios brought down Dani Olmo.

The Polish veteran almost made amends moments later, but Oblak brilliantly clawed out his header from Lamine Yamal’s cross.

Raphinha pulled an effort wide early in the second half when he should have hit the target, and Giuliano Simeone could not get a clean shot away with the goal beckoning at the other end.

Olmo, who netted twice against Alaves on Saturday, sent Barcelona ahead with a slick finish after Lewandowski managed to bundle the ball into his path.

Olmo, a playmaker who has struggled for consistency at Barca amid various physical problems, sustained a shoulder injury falling as he shot and was replaced by Marcus Rashford.

Pedri, who was controlling the game for Barca, also went down hurt after 70 minutes, and Flick replaced him, with fans left hoping it was only a scare ahead of next week’s important Champions League match against Frankfurt.

Atletico substitute Thiago Almada had his team’s best chance of equalising, but after bursting across the penalty area, he lost balance and screwed his finish wide as Joan Garcia scrambled.

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Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said he was relieved to have some injured players returning to fitness ahead of Tuesday’s crunch clash against Atletico Madrid.

Barca moved to the top of La Liga with Saturday’s 3-1 defeat of Alaves, although Atletico in the fourth, are only three points back.

Pedri made his first team return as a second-half substitute on Saturday after more than a month out with a hamstring problem.

He is in line to start against Diego Simeone’s rugged outfit, as is midfield partner Frenkie de Jong, who missed the Alaves match for family reasons.

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“I’m really happy. The players are coming back, maybe we can increase our level. This is the most important thing,” Flick said on Monday, although he confirmed that Uruguayan centre-back Ronald Araujo is out.

The German has come under fire this seen for a series of abject displays, not least in the Catalans’ highest profile matches — a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea and 2-1 reverses against Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.

Despite being top of the table, Flick admitted that Barca needs to improve.

“I know we are not (in) top (form) like last season,” he said. “But we have potential. And we have to increase our level.”

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Julian Alvarez struck twice to earn Atletico Madrid an emphatic 5-2 derby victory over La Liga leaders Real Madrid on Saturday, ending their rivals’ perfect start to the season.

Xabi Alonso’s side had won all six of their games, but Diego Simeone’s Atletico overran them at the Metropolitano stadium.

The hosts came flying out of the blocks and took the lead through Robin Le Normand.

Kylian Mbappe and Arda Guler netted to put Real Madrid in front, but Alexander Sorloth levelled for Atletico at the end of a thrilling first half.

Alvarez fired in from the penalty spot and then bent home a free-kick as he made the difference after the break.

Antoine Griezmann grabbed the fifth late on to seal an important win after a shaky start to the campaign.

Atletico rose provisionally to fourth, while Real Madrid can be usurped at the top of the table by champions Barcelona if they beat Real Sociedad on Sunday.

“There are no excuses, we’re hurting, it’s a derby and a deserved defeat,” said Alonso, after his side conceded five goals against their rivals for the first time since 1950.

Atletico’s joy was evident, with Simeone visibly emotional on the sideline as his team racked up the scoreline.

“There’s a lot of emotions… we’ve had a troubled start to the season,” said Simeone. “From the start of the game, we knew where we could hurt them… today was a very, very good (performance).”

Led by a flying Mbappe, Real came into Alonso’s first derby at the helm as the only side in the league with a 100 percent record.

Although the French superstar scored again to reach eight league goals for the season, Atletico attacked relentlessly and deserved their victory.

Real Madrid started Jude Bellingham for the first time since his shoulder surgery in the summer, but the England international struggled to make an impact.

Giuliano Simeone, coach Diego Simeone’s son, took advantage of slack Madrid defending to whip in a cross which Le Normand headed home after 14 minutes to open the scoring.

The visitors reacted well. Mbappe levelled with a crisp finish after breaking in down the right.

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Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior created Madrid’s second goal, turning brilliantly in the box to break away from Marcos Llorente and Le Normand, before crossing for Guler to strike.

Alvarez, who netted a hat-trick against Rayo Vallecano in midweek, curled a shot around Thibaut Courtois but against the post as Atletico continued pushing.

Atletico defender Clement Lenglet put the ball in the net, but the Frenchman used his forearm to deflect it home.

In first-half stoppage time, Atletico pulled level. Sorloth, lurking behind Dean Huijsen, planted a header beyond Courtois.

The Norwegian striker celebrated with Atletico fans, who embraced him, a risky move, given he was already on a yellow card, but he was not dismissed.

Atletico Madrid moved in front for the second time when Guler gave away a penalty for a high boot, catching Nico Gonzalez’s head.

Alvarez, who had a penalty controversially disallowed in a Champions League shoot-out the last time the sides met, beat Courtois from the spot, even though the Belgian went the right way.

“Each penalty is a new penalty, a new game, a new chance,” said Alvarez.

Courtois saved from Sorloth, but despite getting a hand to Alvarez’s free-kick, he could not keep it out as Atletico pushed two goals clear.

In the meantime, Atletico talisman Griezmann wrapped up a superb victory, rolling the ball past Courtois as the home fans rocked in delight.

The players did a lap of honour after only their third league win of the season, but it was a vital one.

“It’s a very special day, we knew how important this game was, being a derby of course, but also because we needed the three points,” Alvarez told DAZN.

Villarreal, third, beat Athletic Bilbao 1-0 to move within two points of Real Madrid.

Substitute Alberto Moleiro drilled home the winner after 77 minutes against an Athletic side who have scored just one goal in their last six matches across all competitions.

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Julian Alvarez scored a hat-trick to help Atletico Madrid snatch a thrilling 3-2 win over Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Wednesday.

The Rojiblancos fell behind in the 78th minute, but Alvarez, who had opened the scoring, struck twice more in the final stages to claim three points for Diego Simeone’s side.

The Argentina international helped Atletico secure only their second win from six league matches during a shaky start to the campaign.

Atletico are ninth and trail league leaders Real Madrid by nine points ahead of Saturday’s derby clash against Xabi Alonso’s side.

“We needed to get three points to get confidence from winning, we’ve been playing well but because of small details we weren’t getting good results,” Alvarez told Movistar.

“We have to keep working and improve some things to get on a winning run.”

Alvarez, who missed a penalty in Atletico’s frustrating draw at Mallorca last weekend, opened the scoring at the Metropolitano stadium.

The 25-year-old, who joined from Manchester City in 2024, volleyed home from Marcos Llorente’s looping cross after 15 minutes to get the ball rolling.

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The striker should have netted a second before half-time but fired high over the crossbar from Nahuel Molina’s perfectly-judged ball.

Visitors Rayo made the hosts pay in first-half stoppage time when Pep Chavarria scored one of the goals of the season, a bullet from distance which ripped into the top corner past Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak.

Rayo substitute Alvaro Garcia sent his team ahead when he played in on goal, rounding Oblak before squeezing home from a tight angle.

It enraged Atletico, and they began pouring forward, quickly finding an equalizer.

Rayo goalkeeper Augusto Batalla kept out an effort from Simeone’s son Giuliano, but Alvarez was on hand to blast the rebound home from point-blank range.

Giuliano crashed a shot off the crossbar as Atletico pushed for a winner.

With Rayo rocking, Alvarez completed his treble in the 88th minute, producing a superb finish to beat Batalla from the edge of the box.

After grumbling about being substituted during the Mallorca game, Alvarez showed his coach against Rayo why he is best left on the pitch.

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Newly crowned European Champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) launched their bid for Club World Cup glory with a convincing 4-0 victory over Atletico Madrid on Sunday.

In searing heat at the Pasadena Rose Bowl east of Los Angeles, PSG proved too hot to handle for their Spanish opponents in an impressive opening Group B win.

Goals from Fabian Ruiz, Vitinha, Senny Mayulu and Lee Kang-In sealed the three points for PSG, who delighted a crowd of 80,619 with their adventurous attacking play in temperatures that reached 31 degrees Celsius (87.8 Fahrenheit) shortly after kick-off at midday local time.

“We did very, very well in difficult conditions,” PSG goalscorer Vitinha said. “It was a good victory to start the competition.”

PSG coach Luis Enrique said the heat “had an impact on the game.”

“The rhythm of our play was a bit lower than usual, but we were better,” Enrique said. “We trained at such a high level; this team loves to compete, and we are ready to go as far as possible.”

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone refused to blame the heat for his team’s struggles.

“I cannot blame it on the heat — we both played in the same weather conditions,” Simeone said. “They played much better than we did. They have amazing players, and that’s why they’ve just won everything.

“We played better in the second half. But Paris Saint-Germain is a wonderful team, and they played a wonderful game.”

The French giants picked up where they had left off in their 5-0 Champions League final mauling of Inter Milan a fortnight earlier, quickly settling into their smooth passing game to control the early exchanges before taking the lead in the 19th minute.

A lovely passing move down the right saw the ball swiftly transferred to Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who deftly laid off into the path of Ruiz to sweep in a low finish for 1-0.

With Atletico struggling to gain any kind of a foothold in the contest, the Spanish side’s frustration began to show.

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Clement Lenglet was booked for a rash challenge on Moroccan international Achraf Hakimi in the 21st minute, and Robin Le Normand picked up Atletico’s second yellow soon afterwards for bringing down Ruiz.

Ruiz himself was booked on 28 minutes for a shove on Giuliano Simeone before the Argentine midfielder collected Atletico’s third yellow soon afterwards.

With the Parisians in complete control, Atletico had to wait until the stroke of half-time before their first shot on goal, France’s Antoine Griezmann drawing a smart save from Italy international Gianluigi Donnarumma with a low shot.

From the ensuing counter-attack, however, Atletico found themselves 2-0 down.

The electric Kvaratskhelia again found space down the left and fed inside to Vitinha, who ghosted into the box before steering a crisp shot beyond Jan Oblak for 2-0.

Atletico appeared to have hauled themselves back into the game early in the second half when Julian Alvarez rifled home a low finish to make it 2-1.

But the goal was chalked off after VAR spotted a bodycheck by Argentine midfielder Rodrigo De Paul on Desire Doue in the build-up.

That effort appeared to buoy Atletico for the remainder of the half, but despite playing with greater intensity, they were unable to create a single shot on goal.

Lenglet was dismissed after picking up a second yellow card in the 78th minute.

A disappointing Atleti display was summed up by a glaring miss four minutes later, substitute Alexander Sorloth somehow scooping over an open goal from a few yards out after Marcos Llorente’s cross.

PSG swiftly made Atleti pay for that miss, substitute Senny Mayulu pouncing on a loose ball to make it 3-0 in the 87th minute. The rout was completed in injury time when Lee stepped up to convert a penalty after a handball by Le Normand.

PSG will face Brazil’s Botafogo in their next group match in Pasadena on Thursday, before completing the first round against Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders on June 23.

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