Dembele Shines as PSG Storm Into Final

Paris Saint-Germain's dominant 4-0 victory over Real Madrid in the Club World Cup semifinal further cements their status as football's new powerhouse. This comes just weeks after their 5-0 Champions League final demolition of Inter Milan, showcasing a team that shows no signs of slowing down.

Building a Football Dynasty

Despite some dismissing the Club World Cup as a glorified friendly, PSG's performances prove otherwise. Their recent results speak volumes:

• 4-0 wins against both Atletico and Real Madrid
• 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich (despite finishing with nine men)
• Only minor setback against Botafogo

The French champions' combination of blistering pace, precision passing, and relentless pressing has proven unstoppable. Their semifinal dominance was evident as they raced to a 3-0 lead within 24 minutes through Fabian Ruiz's brace and Ousmane Dembele's strike, before Goncalo Ramos added a fourth late on.

The Luis Enrique Effect

The transformation under Luis Enrique has been remarkable:

• Gone are the days of PSG being seen as a collection of egos
• New-look attacking trio of Dembele, Doue, and Kvaratskhelia
• Midfield dominance from Neves, Vitinha, and Ruiz
• Dynamic full-backs Hakimi and Mendes providing constant width

As Dazn pundit Andros Townsend noted: "Luis Enrique has created a monster." The statistics back this up - PSG have won their last five knockout matches by a combined 18-0 scoreline.

Dembele's Breakout Season

Ousmane Dembele has emerged from Kylian Mbappe's shadow to become PSG's talisman:

• 35 goals and 16 assists in 52 appearances this season
• Strong Ballon d'Or contender after career-best campaign
• Luis Enrique's praise: "He deserves to win everything"

Former England striker Callum Wilson marveled: "Unbelievable numbers from Dembele. If he wins the Club World Cup after the Treble, surely he has to win the Ballon d'Or?"

Real Madrid's Growing Pains

For Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid, this was a harsh lesson:

• Defensive experiments with different formations
• Key players like Vinicius Jr and Mbappe failing to track back
• Alonso admitted: "We will have to learn from today"

As PSG prepare to face Chelsea in Sunday's final, they stand on the brink of completing an unprecedented quintuple in 2025. With their current form and squad depth, they appear destined to dominate European football for years to come.