"The forward had an impactful substitute appearance when he made his debut in the quarter-final win over Palmeiras, struck a clinical double when Fluminense were downed in the semi-finals and then, on a thrilling, sweaty afternoon in New Jersey, delivered the coup de grace when Chelsea became world champions thanks to a stunning demolition of PSG."
"It was 3-0 when Joao Pedro lifted a clever finish over Gianluigi Donnarumma in the 43rd minute, and the manner of the humiliation was hard for PSG to accept. Heads were scrambled as the newly crowned European champions felt their aura of invincibility ebb away at the end of an epic season."
"For PSG, it is a chance to show that losing to Chelsea was a one-off at the end of a draining, trophy-laden campaign. Motivation is unlikely to be an issue, even if Luis Enrique insists that revenge is not on the agenda."
Joao Pedro made an extraordinary impact after joining Chelsea, scoring crucial goals throughout the Club World Cup tournament. He delivered a decisive performance in the final against PSG, including a clinical finish in the 43rd minute as Chelsea won 3-0. The match ended in controversy with red cards, a mass brawl, and PSG manager Luis Enrique appearing to slap Joao Pedro. PSG now faces Chelsea in the Champions League last-16, seeking to prove the Club World Cup loss was an anomaly. PSG has underperformed this season despite leading Ligue 1, finishing 11th in the Champions League table and appearing fatigued since the tournament.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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