Club World Cup: victory not enough for Atletico Madrid, Botafogo and Psg pass

Atlético Madrid bid a premature farewell to the Club World Cup. A 1-0 victory over Botafogo, signed in the final by Antoine Griezmann, was not enough to snatch a pass to the round of 16. The mockery comes due to a cruel goal difference in the Group B standings, which rewards PSG and Botafogo and condemns the Colchoneros to elimination, the first European club of substance forced to pack their bags after the group stage.

A bitter match for Diego Simeone’s men, who started with the obligation to win by at least three goals to hope for qualification. However, the match was complicated from the first minutes, with a solid and tidy Botafogo able to create the best chances on the counterattack. Decisive, once again, was Jan Oblak, author of resounding interventions on Savarino and Igor Jesus that kept Spanish hopes alive until the last.

Atlético struggled to find space in the Brazilian defense and wasted at least two glaring chances with Alvarez just before halftime. In the second half, Simeone inserted Griezmann to give more weight to the attack, switching to an offensive trident with Sorloth in the center. The pressure increased but real goal balls remained rare. Botafogo held out until the 87th minute, when the Frenchman found the goal that made Spanish fans dream for a few minutes.

The success, however, was insufficient. The heavy 4-0 defeat suffered against PSG on the first day weighed like a boulder in the standings between the three teams that came in at 6 points. PSG, closed as leaders after a 2-0 success over the Seattle Sounders. Always in control of the game, Luis Enrique’s men filed the file with one goal per half. The one sealed by Kvaratskhelia in the 35th minute and the one by Hakimi in the 67th minute. Psg now prepares to take on the second in Group A, with a possible crossover against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami. Botafogo, meanwhile, flies to the round of 16 with the knowledge that it has accomplished a feat.