The European Champion Examines Atlético's American Dream

Atlético Madrid will begin their pursuit of their own American dream this Sunday, facing none other than the reigning European champion in the star match of the first round of the Club World Cup. Fifteen days after lifting their first 'Big Ears' in Munich, PSG embarks on the final challenge to complete a perfect season, facing Diego Pablo Simeone's squad, which threatened to derail the hopes held by Luis Enrique's men of finally being crowned as monarchs of the Old Continent by storming the Parc des Princes last November. Ángel Correa's stoppage-time goal put the French giant on the brink, but they managed to turn the tide in a critical situation, dazzling with thrilling football and arriving at the nascent tournament with the opportunity to extend their continental hegemony on a global scale.

Luis Enrique trusts that the days of rest he gave his players after winning the Champions League have revitalised the competitive spirit of a PSG that landed in Los Angeles having played 58 matches this season, with potentially seven more to go if the competition unfolds as the Asturian hopes. "The goal is clearly to compete until the end, as far as possible, and have a chance to win it," said the former Spanish national coach in an interview with FIFA media, sharing his pre-tournament analysis of a Club World Cup that could cap an epic campaign for the French team.

Winner of the French Super Cup in January, champion of Ligue 1 in April with six games to spare, and also victorious in the country's Cup a month later, PSG claimed the most coveted jewel by defeating Inter on the last day of May with a historic display in Munich that dispelled the demons that seemed to haunt them in the Champions League, turning Luis Enrique's army into the terror of the other Club World Cup participants.

Not even the absence of Ousmane Dembélé, who was injured with France during the Nations League 'final four' and will miss the three group stage matches, seems to diminish the intimidating capacity of a squad where the collective is far above individualities. In the absence of the superb Norman attacker, who has scored 33 goals and provided 14 assists for his team this season, it seems Luis Enrique will rely on Doué and Kvaratskhelia's wing play and Gonçalo Ramos's instincts inside.

The Portuguese has proven to be a luxury substitute, scoring six goals in the five matches he started in Dembélé's absence, which seems to give him an edge over Barcola and Kang-in Lee for the starting striker position against an Atlético side that was close to being led by Luis Enrique before Simeone took the helm of the red-and-white bench, but which, fourteen years later, remains designed in the image and likeness of Cholo, who was also considered for the PSG job in 2016.

Despite the overall record against Luis Enrique being unfavourable, the Argentine can boast of being the coach who has defeated the Asturian the most times throughout the latter's managerial career, with four victories for Cholo, who, in addition to the mentioned triumph this season, defeated Lucho in their first two encounters on the benches during the 2013-14 league and eliminated him from the Champions League in 2016 when the Gijón native had just won that competition with Barça the previous season.

Simeone aims to complete his particular poker against Luis Enrique this Sunday to start a tournament on the right foot, in which Atlético hopes to make amends for the bitter taste of a season where the red-and-whites have not recovered since their controversial elimination at the hands of Real Madrid in the Champions League round of 16. They need to overcome that setback once and for all to bring joy to a fanbase anxious about the lack of signings but confident in the scoring prowess of Julián Álvarez and Alexander Sörloth, as well as Oblak's goalkeeping, to bring down a PSG that finds itself in the stratosphere.

PSG: Donnarumma, Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes, Fabián Ruiz, Vitinha, Joao Neves, Doué, Gonçalo Ramos, and Kvaratskhelia.

Atlético Madrid: Oblak, Marcos Llorente, Giménez, Le Normand, Galán, Giuliano, Barrios, De Paul, Gallagher, Julián Álvarez, and Sörloth.

Referee: István Kovács (Romania).

Time: 21:00 h.

Stadium: Rose Bowl in Los Angeles.

TV: Telecinco.