FIFA Club World Cup Group B Review

In this article I'll review all the action of Group B of the Club World Cup, highlighting the qualified teams, best performers and the most memorable moments of the group stage. 

Group B Final Standings

Play by Play

Matchday 1

• PSG 4-0 Atlético Madrid
• Botafogo 2-1 Seattle Sounders

Matchday 2

• PSG 0-1 Botafogo 
• Atlético Madrid 3-1 Seattle Sounders

Matchday 3

• PSG 2-0 Seattle Sounders
• Atlético Madrid 1-0 Botafogo

Review

Aaaah group B, the group specifically created to bully the Seattle Sounders. If you're a Seattle fan or just an MLS guy in general, then this must have been a hard watch. But for neutral fans this group had a bit of everything. An underdog story with Botafogo securing qualification, a spicy all European tie between Atletico Madrid and Champions League winners' PSG and a shocking upset in matchday 2.

So where do I start? Well, I think naturally the best place to start is with the blockbuster matchday 1 fixture between Atletico Madrid and Paris. This match is belied by its 4-0 scoreline. From the score you might assume that PSG rinsed, smoked, cooked and ate Atletico for dinner. But that's not the whole picture. In fact, the match was rather close at 2-0 with Atletico pushing hard despite being a man down. The defining moment of the match came in the 81st minute when Marcos Llorente fizzed in a delicious ball to the back post which beat the entire PSG defense (including Donarruma) and landed at the feet of Alexander Sorloth. Sorloth proceeded to hit the ball outside of Earth's atmosphere where it is now traveling at a constant rate towards the andromeda galaxy for E.T to hopefully recover and send back to FIFA. But, had Sorloth buried that chance the game's momentum would have swung, and the last 10 minutes might have played out differently. Instead, PSG went on to turn the screws and score a couple more. 

Overall, PSG showed their class and gave us glimpses of that unstoppable Champions League form which propelled them to win the most coveted trophy in the sport. The impregnable defense of Pacho, Marquinios and Donnarumma was once again a major feature of their game as they managed the best defensive record in the group stages with only 1 goal conceded in 3 matches. A little further up the pitch in midfield Vitinha ran the show as only he can, with a mixture of flair, technique and incredible game sense. And finally, the attack. What else can be said about this PSG attack, I've run out of words. Doue and Kvaraskelia are destructive forces on the wings, terrifying defenders in 1v1 scenarios while Goncalo Ramos has proved a valiant understudy to the injured Dembele. And yet, despite the abundance of quality up front, the Parisian outfit have shared the goals, with 6 different players getting on the scoresheet including midfielders and defenders. 

Finally, a word on Botafogo. Who would've thought? Not me, that's for sure. Add that to my never-ending list of terrible predictions. Their shock win against PSG was easily THE upset of the tournament, but it wasn't a fluke. It was a win borne out of remarkable performances both from a collective and individual side. Gargantuan defensive efforts from the center back Barboza and the keeper John contained PSG's world class attack while the industry of the tireless Igor Jesus allowed Botafogo to remain dangerous on counterattacks. All in all, I would say keep your eyes on Botafogo. If they play with the same intensity and collective spirit that produced the upset of the competition, then who's to say how far they'll go.

Highlight Moment: Igor Jesus stuns PSG