PSG are Club World Cup favourites after 4-0 Real Madrid win

In the past few months, PSG have shown a completely different side to themselves. They thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 in the Champions League final less than six weeks ago and, last night, gave Real Madrid a similarly resounding beating, knocking them out of the Club World Cup 4-0 in the semi-finals. 

PSG will now play Chelsea in the final and bookmakers have made Luis Enrique’s side the firm favourites for victory. While Chelsea have been given odds of 9/4 to lift the trophy, PSG are priced as 3/10 odds-on favourites to clinch Sunday’s final. 

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After Qatar Sports Investment bought PSG in 2011, the club spent large sums of money buying the best players in the world. Initially, they attracted players reaching the twilight of their careers, but, more recently, they have been able to convince younger stars to join their ranks. 

Despite spending vast sums, the French outfit continued to struggle away from the French league. Their big spending also meant they became unpopular with neutrals. Over the past couple of years, especially since Luis Enrique was installed as manager in July 2023, the team has changed its ethos. 

While they’re still willing to spend money, they are less inclined to simply try and buy the most expensive players in the world. They have team unity and a youthful, energetic, pacey side, and that combination has served them especially well in the past 12 months. 

They won last year’s Ligue 1 by nearly 20 points. They beat Inter Milan 5-0 in the Champions League final. And, so far this Club World Cup tournament, they have beaten Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid 4-0. They also beat Bayern Munich 2-0 despite finishing the game with just nine men on the pitch. 

READ: The best prop bets you can find on PSG vs Chelsea!

So impressed have bookmakers and their analysts been that they have now been installed as the favourites for next year’s Champions League, despite being the early second favourite to Premier League champions Liverpool. 

PSG have been priced at 5/1 to retain the trophy, while Liverpool have been given 6/1 to snatch it away.  

Ominously for Chelsea, PSG have made it most of this way without Ousmane Dembele. Dembele is widely considered the best player in the world this season, and looks highly likely to win the Ballon d’Or, but an injury sustained a month ago meant he missed most of this tournament. He played against Real Madrid, however, and scored PSG’s second goal. 

Manager Luis Enrique said: “It is the first match in this World Cup that we can use Ousmane as a normal player. We try to take care of him. I think he is our best player of the season by a long way. He deserves to win everything. He gave everything to the team.”

Chelsea will have their work cut out for them and will be hoping for a repeat of new signing Joao Pedro’s antics in his last match, when he scored two goals against his former club Fluminense.

Odds on the Club World Cup’s remaining teams, courtesy of Ladbrokes.com, correct at the time of writing: