Awarded for the title: what awaits Safonov and Hvich in the quarterfinals of the World Cup

The FIFA Club World Cup, which is taking place in the USA in a new format, has entered a crucial stage. On the night of July 2, the last of the 1/8 finals matches ended, and on July 4, the first quarterfinal meeting will be held. About the current balance of forces at the tournament and the prospects of the players who are not alien to the Russian football fan — in the material of Izvestia.

How were the matches of the 1/8 finals

The first two playoff meetings were held on Saturday, June 28. In the Brazilian derby of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Palmeiras was stronger than Botafogo (1-0). Everything was decided in extra time with a goal from Palmeiras striker Paulinho. And it was a real blowout: six yellow cards for each team (even former Zenit winger Artur, who now defends black and white, got one removal for two yellow cards (Palmeiras defender Gustavo Gomez).

The second match of that day was also not without relegation, a bunch of yellow cards (seven from Benfica, three from Chelsea) and extra time. It was only with his help that Chelsea in London were able to put the squeeze on Benfica in Lisbon (4:1). Although everything was going well for the British until the 90+5th minute, until the 2022 world champion of the Argentine national team, Angel Di Maria, equalized the score from the penalty spot. But Benfica didn't have enough for more. In extra-time, Chelsea scored three unanswered goals for the Portuguese, bringing the matter to a confident major victory.

On June 29, two matches were played, where the winners had to score four goals each. Leo Messi's meeting with his former club turned into a complete failure for the living legend of world football: Inter Miami "burned down" PSG 0:4. Georgian Khvich Kvaratskhelia, who is well known to us from his performances for Rubin Kazan, played a full match, but did not show any results. And our goalkeeper Matvey Safonov spent the whole game on the bench.

The events of the second match of the day, and specifically the second half, were organically combined with the name of the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, where the Brazilian Flamengo and the German Bayern played (2:4). The Munich team came out quite well with the main squad (Manuel Neuer, Harry Kane and all that), but twice during the match they were close to losing the advantage. The captain of the Brazilian team, Gerson, even intervened, hitting Neuer's goal. And soon, it seems, Igor Akinfeev and Stanislav Agkatsev will be terrified, since the transfer of Gerson to Zenit is practically a done deal.

And if Flamengo failed to create a sensation in the game against the European grandee, then Fluminense succeeded. The finalist of the Champions League – 2024/2025, Inter Milan, lost dry to the Brazilians (0:2). And this is with 44-year-old goalkeeper Fabio and 40-year-old central defender Thiago Silva.

Another sensation on the first day of July was caused by Al-Hilal from Saudi Arabia. The Russian Brazilian Malcom's team beat Pep Guardiola's Manchester City 4-3 in extra time, and the former Zenit player himself scored one of the goals.

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On the same day, the "artists" gathered at the Hard Rock Stadium, guaranteed to claim the title of headliners at almost any football festival — Real Madrid and Juventus Turin. The soloist was Gonzalo Torres, a 21-year—old graduate of the Cream Academy, a native of the capital of Spain, who scored the only goal in this meeting.

There were no sensations in the final match of the 1/8 finals: on the night of July 2, Borussia Dortmund dealt with the Mexican Monterrey (2:1), which was not helped even by the legendary Sergio Ramos.

Which pairs are waiting for us in the 1/4 finals

According to the results of the 1/8 finals matches at the World Club Championship, the following quarterfinal pairs were formed:

Fluminense (Brazil) – Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia)

Palmeiras (Brazil) – Chelsea (England)

PSG (France) – Bayern Munich (Germany)

Real Madrid (Spain) – Borussia Dortmund (Germany)

The tournament grid has been formed in such a way that at least one European team is guaranteed to reach the finals (someone from the PSG/Bayern Munich/Borussia quartet/Real Madrid), but the probability of seeing a team not from the Old World as the second participant in the decisive match for the trophy is very high. But only because of the numerical superiority. In fact, it seems that it will be an easy walk for Chelsea: in the quarterfinals — Palmeiras, and in the semifinals — the winner of the confrontation between Fluminense and Al-Hilal. Although it is definitely not worth underestimating at least Brazilian teams. They have already shown what they are capable of in this playoff.

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All the familiar faces

Speaking of personalities, the Russian audience will probably be interested in following the fate of the teams of Matvey Safonov, Khvichi Kvaratskhelia and Malkom.

Safonov and Kvaratskhelia play for PSG, and at least the Georgian striker will surely get his playing time in the match against Bayern Munich (Motya, unfortunately, is unlikely to be able to count on playing in such an important match, and even with a healthy and not disqualified Paris goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma). PSG's grid doesn't seem easier, unlike Chelsea, but still, the current Champions League winner must show all his class and justify the title of the strongest club in Europe at the end of last season. PSG have a real chance of winning the tournament (the final with Chelsea is not completely excluded).

As for Malcom, he and Al-Hilal can create another sensation by knocking out the second club from the English Premier League, however, first we need to deal with Fluminense. But the Kids and the company can definitely make some noise. We'll be watching.