PSG vs. Real Madrid: Lucho vs. Xabi, Mbappé, and the Super League row
The best there is: the European champions against the greatest of all time. Whoever wins this semifinal will likely lift the trophy in New York. PSG and Real Madrid were the most consistent, solid, and spectacular, winning four out of five games , while City allowed themselves to be overbearing, Bayern were lacking, and the others weren't up to par. But PSG-Real Madrid is a thousand other meanings: it's a novel in a game , it's a clash of Spanish footballing philosophies between Luis Enrique and Xabi Alonso, it's Mbappé versus his past, it's a clash over the future of football between the institutional Khelaifi and the rebellious Florentino . All this on this night not to be missed.
The important thing is that the subplots don't overwhelm a match that could be fantastic and will serve as a prelude to next season's Champions League. PSG in 2025 was a spectacle of play and results, with this 4-3-3 that combines pace , competitive spirit , and class, perhaps like Luis Enrique's Barça, which was more paced than Guardiola's: the midfield led by Vitinha is irresistible, the rotating attack unsettles any defense, and there's no way past them. In the semifinals, Bayern Munich fell at the last minute, while PSG showed they can win through hardship.
Real Madrid has ended the Ancelotti era and is restarting at a rapid pace, experimenting with different solutions, all in the name of football: a back four or three with Tchouameni dropped back between the centre-backs; Guler à la Modric; Valverde increasingly playing as an all-rounder; Bellingham playing between the midfielder and the winger (as he did with Carletto); and Mbappé , who, upon his return, will expand an already crowded bench with Rodrygo and the surprise goalscorer Gonzalo Garcia . A crescendo with some distractions against Al Hilal, Juve, and Borussia: in the semifinals, 2-0 up in the 92nd minute, then a heart-pounding 3-2 victory.
PSG are playing a 4-3-3 without the suspended Pacho , with the reliable Beraldo replacing him. With Dembélé's return, the obsessive pressing that destroyed Inter was seen again against Bayern. Is three strikers unsustainable? Yes, if PSG play within 30 meters of attack, they don't force their team into exhausting chases. Real Madrid , without the suspended Huijsen , are oscillating between the new 3-5-2, Xabi Alonso's signature system, and a more classic 4-4-2 deployed across multiple corners of the pitch, such as 4-2-2-2, with Valverde and Bellingham attacking from the wings. Against PSG's attacking trio, a back four would be more logical, but Xabi knows how to surprise .
The duel between the two coaches is fascinating. With Guardiola, they are at the pinnacle of the Spanish school, now superior to the German and Italian schools. Pep has led the way to permanent revolution, Luis Enrique has taken his place at Barça and in the imagination of football scientist, Xabi Alonso is the up-and-coming talent offering a synthesis of perhaps more orthodox ideas, but La Liga and the Champions League are too long to test.
If Miami-PSG was Messi-PSG, tonight Mbappé is worse: Kylian is revisiting the past , having gone from glory to court. He has just withdrawn his complaint for moral harassment against his former club , but he's still demanding €55 million in back pay. In June, president Al-Khelaifi had extended his hand: "I thank Kylian for what he has given to the club and I wish him all the best at Real Madrid."
Al-Khelaifi is less open to Florentino . On the night of the Super League , in April 2021, it was surprisingly discovered that PSG and Bayern had not accepted Florentino and Agnelli's separatist proposal, creating the first crack in the project. PSG's leader has become Ceferin's political right-hand man, while Real Madrid, along with Barça, are now UEFA's only official rivals following Juve's departure post-Agnelli. A clash that will not end with the World Cup.
La Gazzetta dello Sport
