Vitinha stars again as Paris Saint-Germain crush Atletico Madrid in Club World Cup opener [video] | OneFootball

Paris Saint-Germain 4-0 Atletico Madrid

Newly-crowned European champions Paris Saint-Germain picked up where they left off in the Champions League final by making an ominous start to their Club World Cup campaign in Pasadena, California.

Portugal star Vitinha, who has surely established himself as one of the very finest midfielders in the world, was among the goalscorers as PSG hammered Spanish side Atletico Madrid 4-0 in Group B, with Fabián Ruiz, Senny Mayulu and Lee Kang-in also adding their names to the scoresheet.

Portuguese quartet Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, João Neves and Gonçalo Ramos were all issued a start by Luis Enrique at the Rose Bowl, as PSG took to the field for the first time since annihilating Internazionale 5-0 in the Champions League final at the end of last month. Once again, the Ligue 1 champions produced a dominant display, enhancing their tag as tournament favourites.

Neves had a vital role in the opening goal, stealing possession inside Atletico’s defensive third, which led to midfielder Ruiz opening the scoring with a stunning left-foot shot on 19 minutes. The crucial second arrived on the stroke of half time, just moments after Antoine Griezmann struck a shot straight at PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, when the French side broke swiftly against a passive Atleti resposnse and Vitinha ultimately stroked home to double the advantage.

The dismissal of Clément Lenglet (77’) made things impossible for Atletico and substitute Mayulu’s clinical finish amidst a ragged Spanish defence ensured the game was safe at 3-0, shortly after which Robin Le Normand was penalised for handball and Korean Lee Kang-In stroked home the resulting penalty.

Vitinha was duly named Most Valuable Player after the match. The former Porto man’s rise to worldwide superstardom has been a pleasure to watch over the last couple of years, and once again he was heralded in the United States as perhaps the most important cog in the best side in Europe.

We are the favourites – Luis Enrique

Speaking after the match, PSG boss Luis Enrique was beaming over his side’s performance and made no attempt to quell the expectations around what the Parisians can achieve across the next few weeks in the United States.

“It was a very complete performance from the team today. We controlled the game from start to finish. The heat was a factor, but we adapted well and kept our focus.

“I’m very proud of the players, especially the young ones like Senny who stepped up. This is just the beginning; we have a long way to go in this tournament.

‘I don’t have a single doubt. We’re the favourites to win the tournament.’