Carvajal Admits PSG's Superiority After Thrashing Real Madrid

Real Madrid has said goodbye to the Club World Cup in the worst possible way, conceding a resounding 4-0 thrashing to PSG in the tournament semifinals. The white club was overwhelmed from the start, with two egregious errors allowing the French to score two goals in the first ten minutes, practically sealing the match. It was the beginning of the end for a Real Madrid that tried to resist but was unable to stop the overwhelming Parisian offense.

The match against PSG marked the anticipated return of Dani Carvajal, who stepped onto the field again after an injury that kept him nine months sidelined. The right-back came on in the 70th minute, replacing Gonzalo García, and played his first 20 minutes of the season. For Carvajal, this campaign has practically not existed for him individually, which makes his reappearance, despite the bitter result, a turning point.

The conversation that Carvajal had with Hakimi

After the final whistle, Carvajal had a brief but significant encounter with Achraf Hakimi. Both know each other well from Hakimi's time in Real Madrid's youth categories and first team. In a gesture of sportsmanship and sincerity, the Spanish defender did not hesitate to acknowledge PSG's overwhelming superiority. "You ran all over us, you're at an incredible level...", Carvajal told Achraf as they left the field.

Carvajal's injury occurred on October 5, 2024, during a league match against Villarreal at the Bernabéu. Six days later, he underwent surgery, beginning a long and arduous recovery process that finally culminated in his return in this crucial, though unfortunate, Club World Cup match. His return is one of the few positive notes on a forgettable day for Real Madrid.