Luis Enrique said his Paris Saint-Germain team are “hungry” to add the Club World Cup to their Champions League success, after beating Atlético Madrid 4-0 in the opening game in Group B.
Fabián Ruiz and Vitinha put PSG 2-0 up in the first half at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena, and substitutes Senny Mayulu and Lee Kang-In — with a penalty — added two more goals late on, after Atlético defender Clément Lenglet was sent off.
PSG won the treble last season, winning Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, and the Champions League, when they thrashed Inter 5-0 in the final last month.
“We had the objective of making history this season, but this [the Club World Cup] is a new chapter,” Luis Enrique said in his post-match news conference. “It’s a nice challenge for the players and the team, to want to keep winning.
“The club is hungry, the fans are hungry, the players and the team are hungry, and that’s a good feeling. I don’t know [if we’re favourites], it doesn’t bother me, but we have the same objective as in other competitions, which is to go as far as possible and try to win it.”
The game was played in front of an 80,619 crowd at the Rose Bowl, which organisers said was a record attendance this season for both clubs.
Atlético coach Diego Simeone refused to blame the midday heat for his players’ performance.
“When the season starts in August [in Madrid], it’s the same heat,” he said in his post-match news conference. “I won’t blame the heat. It’s the same for both teams.
“They’re a great team, a young team. They’ve always had good players, and now they’re a team.”
Atlético improved in the second half, when Julián Álvarez had a goal disallowed after a VAR check revealed a foul in the build up, and substitute Alexander Sorloth missed from close range.
“In the first half we didn’t play as we should have,” Simeone said. “They played very well. Even when we won the ball, we couldn’t get away from their press.
“In the second half, we were better. We made it 2-1 [through Alvarez] and the referee decided not to count it.
“The team competed, despite the tough defeat, and a 4-0 scoreline. We’re obliged to get good results in the other games now.”
Atlético play Seattle Sounders next in Seattle on June 19, while PSG play Brazil’s Botafogo, again at the Rose Bowl.
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