Chelsea did their part, winning 2-0 in the semi-final against Fluminense and thus securing their place in the final of the Club World Cup. PSG and Real Madrid, on the other hand, will play on Wednesday evening for the chance not only to earn some more money – which always makes a difference – but also to join Maresca.
Who will succeed? The experienced Luis Enrique, who already has an important project in Paris, or the young Xabi Alonso in his first experience on such an important bench? We will see tonight, there is not long to wait now. What we know, or at least imagine, is that it will be a real match despite the temperatures and fatigue. When two clubs like this, with this history, face each other, no one wants to lose.
Especially if we think about the Madrid side, of course. However, in this case, we are going to look at the players who are close to receiving a yellow card, those who could get booked or at least commit a couple of fouls during the match. There are many hot-headed players, without a doubt.
At PSG, Hakimi—as we’ve said several times—is the man who has received the most disciplinary measures this year: seven. That’s not a small number in a team that is always focused on attack. He’ll have to deal with Vinicius, a very lively opponent, not only on the field but also in terms of character. So we believe he could commit at least two fouls. Continuing with the Parisian side, keep an eye on Beraldo, the center back that Luis Enrique is planning to start. He, too, has received seven yellow cards this season, although he has played 20 fewer games than Hakimi. It will be really tough against Mbappé.
Moving on to Madrid, the first name, almost a foregone conclusion, is Tchouameni: 57 appearances this season, one goal, but ten yellow cards. Also used as a central defender, he will return to midfield, in front of the defense. Dembele should play in that position, someone who drops back a lot and plays with the team. He may find himself forced to bring him down. Finally, we close with Asencio: he started very badly, was sent off after seven minutes against Pachuca in the second game of the group stage, and so it is clear that he is not in great physical shape. He is a player who inevitably features in our choices.