Both teams lined up against German opposition at the quarter-final stage, less than 24 hours after Chelsea and Fluminense advanced to the last four of the newly revamped competition.
PSG were unable to break Bayern Munich’s resistance until deep into the second half, but two goals from Désiré Doué and substitute Ousmane Dembélé would secure victory over their Bundesliga opponents. However, there was plenty of late drama at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. After defensive duo Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernández were given their marching orders, the Bavarians were denied a penalty following a VAR review.
There was even more chaos in the closing moments of Real Madrid's meeting with Borussia Dortmund, as three goals and a red card landed within nine stoppage-time minutes.
Maximilian Beier halved the deficit late on after first-half strikes from Gonzalo García and Fran García, before Kylian Mbappé restored Los Blancos’ two-goal advantage with an accurate acrobatic finish.
Within seconds of the restart, new recruit Dean Huijsen was sent off for hauling down Serhou Guirassy in front of goal, with the Guinean striker dusting himself down to dispatch the resultant spot-kick. Dortmund had no time to find an equalizer, ensuring Xabi Alonso registered the fourth victory of his short tenure as Real Madrid boss.
The second semi-final of the Club World Cup commences at 3.00pm (local time) on Wednesday afternoon, meaning an 8.00pm start for UK audiences. Live coverage of the match will be provided by both DAZN and Channel 5, with television and online viewing options available.
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Paris Saint-Germain vs. Real Madrid – Key Information
Date: Wednesday 9th July
Kick-off time: 8.00pm
Venue: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford (NJ)
Referee: Szymon Marciniak (Assistant Referees: Tomasz Listkiewicz, Adam Kupsik)
VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski (Assistant VAR: Rob Dieperink)
TV channel/Live stream: DAZN and Channel 5 (both networks providing coverage on television/online/app service)
Odds: Paris Saint-Germain – 13/10, Draw – 27/10, Real Madrid – 15/8
Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at the time of publication and subject to change.
Paris Saint-Germain team news
Although he isn’t burdened by any fresh injury concerns heading into Wednesday’s tie, Luis Enrique will have to shuffle his backline.
Willian Pacho’s rash tackle on Leon Goretzka gave Anthony Taylor little option but to brandish the red card, resulting in the Ecuadorian receiving an automatic one-match ban. This means 21-year-old Lucas Beraldo, who started PSG’s 1-0 defeat to Botafogo back on matchday two, will likely partner Brazilian compatriot Marquinhos in central defence.
The English referee also made the correct call to halt Lucas Hernández’s participation in the match, after the former Atlético Madrid defender struck Bayern Munich’s Raphaël Guerreiro with a flailing elbow. Whilst three of the Frenchman’s four appearances at the Club World Cup have come from the bench, PSG will undoubtedly miss his experience and versatility on Wednesday evening.
Having missed all three of Paris Saint-Germain’s group stage fixtures to aid his recovery from a minor muscle problem, Ousmane Dembélé found himself back on the scoresheet against Bayern Munich.
The fleet-footed Frenchman has enjoyed a scintillating 2024/25 campaign, netting a staggering 34 goals across all competitions. Expect Dembélé to return to Luis Enrique’s starting XI following two substitute appearances, linking up with Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to complete a formidable attacking force.
Paris Saint-Germain predicted line-up vs. Real Madrid (4-3-3)
Coach: Luis Enrique
Gianluigi Donnarumma (GK), Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Lucas Beraldo, Nuno Mendes, João Neves, Vitinha, Fabián Ruiz,
Désiré Doué, Ousmane Dembélé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Real Madrid team news
Xabi Alonso similarly must address a slight defensive headache, while he also has to decide who should assume the centre-forward role.
Thanks to his dismissal in the previous round, former Bournemouth centre-half Dean Huijsen is unavailable for selection. Raúl Asencio is favourite to step into the heart of Real Madrid’s defence, but Alonso may have one or two reservations about the Spanish international following a couple of shaky performances.
After giving away a soft penalty against Al Hilal, the 22-year-old academy graduate lasted just seven minutes of Madrid’s meeting with Pachuca before being sent off for illegally preventing Venezuelan striker Salomón Rondón from accessing a clear goalscoring opportunity. Éder Militão and Jacobo Ramón could also plug the gap left by Huijsen, with an Antonio Rüdiger providing consistency in this position.
In attack, the red-hot form of Gonzalo García is likely to once again consign Kylian Mbappé to a place on the bench, after the Spanish youngster took another step closer to the golden boot award over the weekend.
Mbappé didn’t feature in any of Real’s opening three contests on account of him struggling with acute gastroenteritis, but has had to make do with two substitute appearances since returning to full fitness.
Alonso has flitted between different tactical systems throughout the tournament, regularly changing the volume of personnel in each third of the pitch.
Having initially deployed a 4-3-3 before switching to a back three for clashes with RB Salzburg and Juventus, the Basque strategist reverted to an adjusted version of his original formation on Saturday.
With PSG consistent in their adoption of a flat 4-3-3, Alonso may well decide to mirror this shape and go toe-to-toe with the newly-crowned Champions League winners.
Real Madrid predicted line-up vs. Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3)
Coach: Xabi Alonso
Thibaut Courtois (GK), Trent Alexander-Arnold, Raúl Asencio, Antonio Rüdiger, Fran García, Arda Güler, Aurélien
Tchouaméni, Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Gonzalo García, Vinícius Júnior
Where to watch on TV
Back in April, it was announced Channel 5 had agreed a sub-licensing deal with the Club World Cup’s official broadcasting partner DAZN. The terrestrial channel has televised 21 matches from the States so far, and is scheduled to show the second semi-final as well as Sunday’s showpiece in New Jersey.
Therefore, this Wednesday’s contest between Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid will be screened on both DAZN and Channel 5. Coverage on both networks begins at 7.00pm, with kick-off following an hour later.
Online viewers can stream this content live via the DAZN or Channel 5 website, or alternatively by downloading either the DAZN or My5 application.
Form Guide and Head-to-Head record
Given that we’re now at the semi-final stage of the competition, both teams come into this tie with considerable momentum.
The only blot on PSG’s copybook came on matchday two, when reigning Série A champions Botafogo nicked a 1-0 victory at the Rose Bowl. Either side of that narrow defeat, the Parisians thumped Atlético Madrid in front of the tournament’s largest attendance to press before comfortably dispatching MLS outfit Seattle Sounders on their own turf. A second lesson was then dealt out to American opposition at the last sixteen stage, with Inter Miami on the receiving end of a 4-0 thrashing at the Hard Rock Stadium.
Whilst they haven’t been quite as convincing as their French adversaries, there are already signs Real Madrid are starting to gel under the stewardship of their new manager.
After an underwhelming draw with Saudi heavyweights Al Hilal on the opening matchday, the five-time Club World Cup champions netted three times in triumphs over Pachuca and RB Salzburg to reach the summit of Group H.
They then edged past Juventus in Miami last week, extending their unbeaten run across all competitions to eight matches.
This prestigious pair have faced one another on plenty of occasions in the past, but most recently met in a UEFA Champions League knockout clash during the 2021/22 campaign.
A very late strike from Kylian Mbappé gave PSG a slender lead heading into the second leg, before the gifted Frenchman netted against his future employers early on at the Santiago Bernabéu.
However, a stunning second-half hat-trick from departed talisman Karim Benzema would completely flip the tie on its head. Less than three months later, Real Madrid returned to the French capital to claim an unprecedented 20th piece of continental silverware.
Odds
In the notes below, we’ve provided a selection of data-driven betting tips. To access a comprehensive set of odds markets for this tie, visit bet365 now.
Despite having only previously recorded one senior goal, Gonzalo García has netted four times in his five Club World Cup appearances. This impressive return is perhaps unsurprising given his level of striking accuracy, with eight of his twelve attempts hitting the target.
Three of his four goals have broken the deadlock, which suggests the Madrileño enjoys a fast start. Could we see history repeating itself on Wednesday evening?
Tip: Gonzalo García to score the first goal: 15/2
Explanation: This bet will land if Gonzalo García scores the opening goal of the match.
Although these two teams have conspired to deliver 23 goals between them at the 2025 Club World Cup, both Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid also preside over outstanding defensive records.
Xabi Alonso’s men have only conceded on four occasions, with two of these goals coming from the penalty spot. Aided by their commanding figure between the sticks, Thibaut Courtois has made a colossal 70 saves according to official FIFA statistics.
PSG have been even more impressive at the back, as Igor Jesus’ deflected effort remains the only goal they’ve conceded since crossing the Atlantic Ocean last month. The loss of Willian Pacho is significant, but the Parisians have more than enough defensive quality to stifle Real Madrid’s attacking endeavours.
Tip: Under 3.5 Goals – Yes: 8/15
Explanation: This bet will land if three or fewer goals are scored during the match.
There were three red cards issued during the last round, all of which were delivered to players who represent Wednesday’s semi-final opponents. Despite both sides having a relatively low card count at this summer’s tournament, each has several consistently ill-disciplined members. One of these players is Real Madrid’s Raúl Asencio, who has so far racked up ten yellow cards across all competitions this term. Although having only played 57 minutes of football since arriving in the U.S, the Canary Islander has committed three fouls, one of which led to his very early dismissal against Pachuca.
Tip: Raúl Asencio to be booked: 9/4
Explanation: This bet will land if Real Madrid’s Raúl Asencio receives a yellow card during the match.
The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change.