PASADENA, United States: Newly crowned European Champions Paris Saint-Germain launched their bid for Club World Cup glory with a convincing 4-0 victory over Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
In searing heat at the Pasadena Rose Bowl east of Los Angeles, PSG proved too hot to handle for their Spanish opponents in an impressive opening Group B win.
Goals from Fabian Ruiz, Vitinha, Senny Mayulu and Lee Kang-In sealed the three points for PSG, who delighted a crowd of 80,619 with their adventurous attacking play.
The French giants picked up where they had left off in their 5-0 Champions League final mauling of Inter Milan a fortnight earlier, quickly settling into their smooth passing game to control the early exchanges.
Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak was soon pressed into action, blocking a Goncalo Ramos shot from just outside the box on 17 minutes as PSG’s pressure mounted.
Oblak denied PSG again moments later, diving to stop a Khvicha Kvaratskhelia shot that was destined for the bottom left-hand corner.
Those early warning shots proved to be a precursor for the game’s opening goal in the 19th minute.
A lovely passing move down the right saw the ball swiftly transferred to Georgian winger Kvaratskhelia who deftly laid off into the path of Ruiz to sweep in a low finish for 1-0.
With Atletico struggling to gain any kind of a foothold in the contest, the Spanish side’s frustration began to show.
Clement Lenglet was booked for a rash challenge on Moroccan international Achraf Hakimi in the 21st minute, and Robin Le Normand picked up Atletico’s second yellow soon afterwards for bringing down Ruiz.
Ruiz himself was booked on 28 minutes for a shove on Giuliano Simeone before the Argentine midfielder collected Atletico’s third yellow soon afterwards.
With the Parisians in complete control, Atletico had to wait until the stroke of half-time before their first shot on goal, France’s Antoine Griezmann drawing a smart save from Italy international Gianluigi Donnarumma with a low shot.
From the ensuing counter-attack, however, Atletico found themselves 2-0 down.
The electric Kvaratskhelia again found space down the left and fed inside to Vitinha, who ghosted into the box before steering a crisp shot beyond Oblak for 2-0.
Atletico appeared to have hauled themselves back into the game early in the second half when Julian Alvarez rifled home a low finish to make it 2-1.
But the goal was chalked off after VAR spotted a bodycheck by Argentine midfielder Rodrigo De Paul on Desire Doue in the build-up.
That effort appeared to buoy Atletico for the remainder of the half, but despite playing with greater intensity they were unable to create a single shot on goal.
Lenglet was dismissed after picking up a second yellow card on 78 minutes.
A disappointing Atleti display was summed up by a glaring miss four minutes later, substitute Alexander Sorloth somehow scooping over an open goal from a few yards out after Marcos Llorente’s cross.
PSG swiftly made Atleti pay for that miss, substitute Senny Mayulu pouncing on a loose ball to make it 3-0 in the 87th minute. The rout was completed in injury time when Lee stepped up to convert a penalty after a handball by Le Normand.
PSG will face Brazil’s Botafogo in their next group match in Pasadena on Thursday, before completing the first round against Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders on June 23.

MONTREAL: George Russell took Mercedes’ first win of the Formula One season in Canada on Sunday while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri went 22 points clear in the championship after teammate Lando Norris smashed into him and retired.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who had hoped to win for a record fourth year in a row at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, took second.

Russell’s 18-year-old Italian rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli finished third for his first F1 podium.

Piastri was fourth with the safety car leading the final lap before peeling off to clear the way for Russell to take the chequered flag.

An uneventful afternoon erupted in headline drama when Norris hit the rear of Piastri’s car three laps from the end — a clash long predicted in the title battle — while trying to overtake.

The Briton, who ended at a standstill by the side of the track with no front wing and a broken car, was quick to blame himself.

“I’m sorry. All my bad. All my fault. Stupid from me,” Norris said over the team radio.

Piastri pitted as the safety car was deployed and rejoined with a tire advantage over Antonelli that he could not use as the racing never resumed.

“Glad I didn’t ruin his race. In the end apologies to the team,” Norris told Sky Sports television.

“This wasn’t even like a ‘that’s racing’, it was just silly from my part.”

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished fifth and sixth with Fernando Alonso seventh for Aston Martin and Nico Hulkenberg bringing in more solid points for Sauber in eighth place.

Esteban Ocon was ninth for Haas in their 200th race with Carlos Sainz 10th for Williams.

“Well done team. That made up for last year,” said Russell, who also started on pole last year but finished third. His last win before Sunday was in Las Vegas last November.

“It’s amazing to be back on the top step.

“I felt last year was a victory lost and probably got the victory today due to the incredible pole lap yesterday.”

Third place made Antonelli the third youngest driver ever to stand on the F1 podium.

“I had a good start, managed to jump into P3 and just stayed up there at the front,” he said of passing Piastri for third on the opening lap.

“The last stint I pushed a bit too hard behind Max and I killed a bit the front-left (tyre), and struggled a bit at the end, but really happy to bring the podium home.”

Russell led away cleanly from pole, with Verstappen slotting in behind.

Behind them, Williams’ Alex Albon tracked across the grass after starting ninth with Alpine’s Franco Colapinto moving briefly up from 10th before losing out to Hulkenberg and then falling down the order.

Norris, who started on the hard tires to go longer in the opening stint, was leading by lap 16 after others who started on mediums came in for pitstops. He then pitted on lap 29 and came out fifth, behind Piastri in fourth.

Leclerc also came in that lap but then questioned why Ferrari had made the call, with his hard tires still in reasonable shape.

Hamilton was behind his teammate, with reported damage to his car, and wondering out loud where the performance had gone.

“I’m nowhere in the race, mate, I don’t know what’s happened,” the seven-times world champion told his engineer over the team radio.