PSG taught Real Madrid an expensive lesson

Luis Enrique shows the class of a world- class coach.

A friendly match, but a wake-up call. Real Madrid went into the match against Paris Saint-Germain with the confidence they had built up throughout the tournament in the United States. But after just 90 minutes, all that positive feeling collapsed.

The 0-4 loss to PSG in the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 in the early morning of July 10 not only exposed the gap between the two teams, but also highlighted the fundamental problems of the Spanish royal team. And while Luis Enrique is building a model PSG, Real Madrid is still struggling to find its own shape.

Tactical failure

Xabi Alonso has helped Real Madrid improve since the start of the summer, but against PSG, his team looked like an outdated version. Trent Alexander-Arnold's absence meant Fede Valverde was pushed to the wing, while Kylian Mbappe was placed high up the pitch to focus on attack. But this adjustment disrupted the balance of the squad.

Madrid's 1-4-3-3 looked loose, lacking in connection between the lines and completely unable to counter PSG's slick pressing machine. Early on, individual errors from Raul Asencio and Antonio Rudiger set the stage for the collapse, but the underlying cause was a loss of control of the game - something that shouldn't happen at this level.

PSG are not only superior in terms of players, they are also superior in terms of discipline and structure. Names like Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, or Ousmane Dembele all play with high intensity, constantly moving, pressing and coordinating rhythmically. Luis Enrique - with the hand of a world-class strategist - has turned that collective into a cohesive unit, playing football not only with technique but also with thinking and spirit.

Real Madrid stars bow out of FIFA Club World Cup 2025.

On the other side, Real Madrid have many expensive stars, but most of them choose to… stay out of the game when they don’t have the ball. Vinicius Jr and Mbappe - the two most expected strikers - hardly participate in the defense, leaving a big gap on the wings. When a team has players who are not willing to support the defense, disaster is inevitable.

Distance is not just a score

The scoreline doesn’t tell the whole story, but in this game, it was an accurate reflection. PSG taught Real Madrid a lesson in how to operate a modern team: synchronized pressing, coherent transitions, and above all, individual awareness. Dembele – once considered “forever young” – is now a symbol of progress under Enrique: relentless running, pressing, combining effectively.

Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso - a coach expected to be the future of Real Madrid - is still struggling with tactics and personnel. He has made certain marks, but this match shows that the job at Real Madrid is still a long way off, requiring more from both the teacher and the students.

PSG does not have expensive stars in the squad, but plays football with a true team image.

Real Madrid should not see PSG as rivals, but as role models. Luis Enrique is not only getting the French team back on track, he is redefining the modern way of playing football: a good team is a team of 11 men who work together - with or without the ball.

Losing to PSG is not a disaster. But if Real Madrid do not learn from this defeat, if players like Vinicius and Mbappe continue to play on their own terms, and if the team continues to lack a clear structure, they will continue to be left out of major trophies - despite their star-studded squad.

Luis Enrique is ahead. Real Madrid must follow, or else fall behind forever.

Source: https://znews.vn/psg-day-cho-real-madrid-bai-hoc-dat-gia-post1567431.html