First face off against second in Group B of the Club World Cup on Thursday as Paris Saint-Germain take on Brazilian giants Botafogo in Pasadena’s Rose Bowl. European champions PSG look even more like the team to beat following events on Sunday, where they ran four goals past a disappointing Atletico Madrid, Vitinha at his exceptional best in a game where Luis Enrique’s side struck twice late on.
Botafogo followed on from that result with an impressive 2-1 win over Seattle Sounders at Lumen Field, striker Igor Jesus particularly dangerous at the tip of the Lone Star’s attack. A victory for Renato Paiva’s side would send ructions around a tournament where Brazilian clubs are looking particularly effective but even a point would be a major boon for Botafogo, giving them breathing room before a meeting with Atletico Madrid in the final round of games that has long had the look of a playoff for second place.
They will certainly be long shots to overcome a PSG side who trampled the Champions League underfoot in the first five months of 2025 but no one should doubt Botafogo’s commitment to pulling off a remarkable upset.
Viewing information
- Date: Thursday, June 18 | Time: 9 p.m. ET
- Location: Rose Bowl — Pasadena, CA
- Live stream: Watch on DAZN (for free)
- Odds: Paris Saint-Germain: -500; Draw +550; Botafogo +1200
Last meeting
This will be the first competitive meeting between the two teams.
Predicted lineups
Paris Saint-Germain: Gianluigi Donnarumma; Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Willian Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Joao Neves, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz; Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvarastkhelia
Botafogo: John; Vitinho, Jair Cunha, Alexander Barboza, Alex Telles; Artur, Marlon Freitas, Gregore, Jefferson Savarino; Gonzalo Mastriani, Igor Jesus
Player to watch
Vitinha, PSG: The Portuguese midfielder was the hub around which everything turned in their remarkable run of form in the back half of the season. If anything, Vitinha seemed even more impressive in the Club World Cup opener, his 112 completed passes ensuring PSG had a possession foothold that forced Atletico Madrid to burn what little energy they had facing him.
Storyline to watch
Can impressive Brazilian sides knock down a European big boy? It was a bright start for the representatives from Brazil in the first round of Club World Cup fixtures. Aside from Botafogo and Flamengo winning games they’d be expected to, Palmeiras and Fluminense both held out for goalless draws against European sides. All four teams have looked more energetic and organized than most of the rest of the field after a gruelling season for the UEFA clubs. Borussia Dortmund and Porto, however, aren’t all that near to PSG’s level. Can Botafogo keep the unbeaten streak going?
Prediction
PSG are going to have to work for this one. Equally, they have both a technical level that should allow them to dominate possession and quality to turn the tide off the bench, particularly Bradley Barcola and Goncalo Ramos. This might be harder work than the scoreline suggests but it should still be a win. Pick: PSG 3, Botafogo 1
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