Paris Saint Germain defeat Flamengo in cagey final
Paris Saint-Germain claimed their sixth trophy of the year as the French giants managed to get the better of Flamengo on penalties. The two sides were inseparable after 120 minutes of football, leading to the winner being decided by spot kicks. Their narrow 2-1 win on penalties saw them become only the fourth team to claim the sextuple after Flamengo, FC Barcelona, and Bayern Munich.
Kvaratskhelia guides PSG to the sextuple
Paris Saint Germain edged Flamengo in the final as expected, but it was no walk in the park for the French giants, with the Brazilians putting on an impressive defensive display. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia gave PSG the lead in the 38th minute, following a strike on goal from Doue which was initially saved by Rossi before conceding the rebound that the Georgian international pounced on at the near post. Vitinha was once again at the heart of PSG’s victory, with the Portuguese technician pulling the strings in midfield for the French giants. The 25-year-old midfielder claimed yet another individual accolade after being named the player of the tournament. Safonov was another notable hero on the night, as the Russian keeper kept out four successive penalties from Flamengo.
Flamengo come close but fall short
Despite falling short on penalty kicks, Flamengo managed to put up a fight by keeping a free-scoring PSG at bay for 120 minutes. However, it was not to be for the South American champions on the night, who were kept out by some heroic saves from Matvei Safonov. Despite going behind to PSG, Jorginho brought them back level from the spot to give Flamengo hope of nicking the game away from the French giants. Filipe Luís’ men will be heartbroken with the result but, then again, will be encouraged by their impressive defensive display, with the only conceded goal coming from a rebound. The defeat extended Flamengo’s wait for the Intercontinental Cup, which they last picked up in 1981.
