THERE is a crucial and revealing difference between the Club World Cup finalists as close to eighty thousand fans prepare to congregate in East Rutherford, New Jersey, this Sunday. Only one of the teams has it in them to ruthlessly dismantle the other.

That team is Paris SG who have spectacularly demolished European royalty in recent weeks in the form of Inter Milan and Real Madrid, as well as putting four past Atletico Madrid and outclassing Bayern Munich for good measure. Their latest exhibition of brilliance – a 4-0 thumping of Los Blancos that was done and dusted inside half an hour – once again highlighted that this is a special collective capable of doing special things. Luis Enrique’s creation is arguably the finest side in world football at present.

Not only that – and this isn’t always the case when it comes to the best sides in the world – they are captivating to watch too, with an explosive front three forever stress-testing backlines and artisans in Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves having the guile to exploit the findings.

Even the mechanics of their defence is enthralling: a finely tuned sum of moving parts that allows for Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes to bomb forward. It’s a defence that has been breached only once in America and 0.3 times per 90 in their last 12.  

 

It’s when we get to their formidable front line, however, that the stats really go supersonic. Between them, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia, Doue, and Barcola have amassed 85 goals and 64 assists in 2024/25, a lofty tally that has contributed to PSG failing to score only once in their last 20 outings. They have averaged 2.5 goals per 90 in that period.

Of the quartet, Dembele is the man most in form, boasting a goal involvement every 39 minutes since Ligue 1’s conclusion

All of which is to say that another high-scoring demolition of a high-class opponent is a distinct possibility at the MetLife Stadium, while a PSG victory is a probability.

 

Does such a suggestion do a disservice to Chelsea? Perhaps, though in fairness it is mainly based on PSG’s potency and less so on any flaws Enzo Maresca’s men may have.

The Blues went into the competition having secured a top four spot in the Premier League and claimed the Conference League yet remained – by any reasonable metric – an incomplete proposition. Too often they relied on Cole Palmer’s x-factor, which was something of a problem given the 23-year-old was enduring sustained, terrible form.

Too often as well, a high volume of chances would go begging, with a lack of a clinical edge up front an ongoing concern. Chelsea took on the third most shots in the top flight last term but were outscored by Brentford and Brighton in addition to four others.

It matters greatly, therefore, that Palmer has regained his mojo, racking up eight key passes in his last three appearances. As for any shortcomings in the final third, Joao Pedro’s debut in their semi-final defeat of Fluminense bodes extremely well.

Granted, one hour of action is a tiny sample size, but two goals from two shots on target is definite cause for encouragement.

Elsewhere, the performances of Enzo Fernandez typically catch the eye, and a midfield duel with Neves will go a long way to deciding Sunday’s contest, but frankly, is there much point in illustrating Chelsea’s strengths when a loss is anticipated? It is surely more logical to point out that Levi Colwill returns from suspension here, having picked up two cautions in the US, and will have Dembele to contend with.

Moises Caicedo meanwhile has fouled 2.2 times per 90 across his last 10 games, seeing yellow three times in his last six.

 

If the Blues are tipped to fall one game short of being crowned world champions, there are at least a couple of areas where they are fancied to edge it, not least the corners market that sees PSG priced up at 4/9 to win the most.

Such a slender price is clearly based on the French team’s status as match favourites, and by virtue of the fact they have averaged 73.3% of possession in their contests to date, yet neither factor is especially persuasive in this regard.

Consider the prospect of PSG going in front and Chelsea having to chase the game. The Champions League winners, after all, have converted inside the opening 20 minutes in five of their last eight fixtures.  

And acknowledge too that in their last 10 games – against some seriously decent opposition – Chelsea have averaged 6.3 corners per 90 compared to PSG’s 5.4.

 

Naturally, out-set-piecing their opponent will mean less than nothing to Maresca’s men as they trudge off the pitch defeated this weekend, though they should take sincere pride in going so deep and be hugely energized about what it all means.

As for PSG, victory will be a shiny jewel implanted in a crown they already wear, heralding them as the best team on the planet, bar none.

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