Luis Enrique deserves a Ballon d'Or for coaches, if such an award existed. More than Lamine Yamal, Ousmane Dembele, Vitinha, or Nuno Mendes, Enrique is the biggest champion of the 2024-2025 season. After securing four titles with PSG, the Spanish coach is on his way to a fifth. His PSG side rivals Pep Guardiola's 2009 Barcelona and Hansi Flick's 2020 Bayern Munich in the quest for a clean sweep of trophies in a single year. Another of Enrique's achievements is transforming PSG into a relentless winning machine without relying on big-name stars. The team has become a well-oiled machine without president Nasser Al Khelaifi needing to bring in stars worth hundreds of millions of USD, as he did before.

Real Madrid shot themselves in the foot. In a big match, any mistake can lead to defeat. Real Madrid can only blame themselves for gifting PSG two goals in the first 9 minutes. In the 6th minute, Raul Asencio's casual ball control led to the first goal. Three minutes later, Antonio Rudiger lost the ball to Dembele, who made it 2-0. It was already a difficult task for Real Madrid to overcome PSG and reach the final, but the mission became even harder after conceding two sloppy goals.

Real Madrid performs better with three center-backs than two: In the first five matches of the tournament, using a 3-5-2 formation with three center-backs, two wing-backs, three midfielders, and two forwards, coach Xabi Alonso achieved a 1-1 draw against Al Hilal, and victories against Pachuca (3-1), Salzburg (3-0), Juventus (1-0), and Dortmund (3-2).

However, in the semi-final, due to Dean Huijsen's suspension and Trent Alexander-Arnold's injury, he had to switch to the classic 4-3-3 formation. According to Marca, the heavy defeat against PSG shows that playing with two center-backs is insufficient. With their strongest lineup in a 3-5-2 formation, Real Madrid could have competed on equal terms, or at least minimized the loss.

PSG is a role model for Real Madrid. If they want to play a high-pressing style, Real Madrid needs to look at PSG. Coach Luis Enrique's players constantly move aggressively, applying intense pressure and suffocating their opponents. They seamlessly combine Spanish-style ball control with continuous movement and German-style pressing. Coach Alonso still has much work to do if he wants Real Madrid to play a more modern game.

A sad farewell for Luka Modric and Lucas Vazquez. Modric and Vazquez's contracts with Real Madrid will expire after the FIFA Club World Cup. Neither expected to bid farewell to the team with a 4-0 defeat. Both players came on as substitutes, but couldn't help Real Madrid score even a single goal. Modric departs as one of the best midfielders in Real Madrid's history and one of the players with the most Champions League titles (6). Vazquez has one fewer Champions League title than Modric.

Nuno Mendes is truly in a class of his own. If not overshadowed statistically by Dembele, the Portuguese left-back would be considered the best player in the world right now. Mendes consistently dominates his opponents in his position, becoming a battering ram that breaks down any defense and proves unbeatable when tracking back. He also possesses impressive acceleration and wins every sprint.

Triple heartbreak for Kylian Mbappe. PSG winning the Champions League immediately after his move to Real Madrid was the first heartbreak for Mbappe. Facing his former team, the French forward's pain multiplied. Real Madrid not only lost but was also eliminated with a 4-0 defeat. Mbappe himself was powerless against his former teammates and couldn't contribute anything to his new team.

PSG asserts its status as the new champion. The match between PSG, the newly crowned Champions League winners, and Real Madrid, the former champions and the most successful team in the tournament's history, was like a battle between the old and new dynasties. The result saw the new champion assert its dominance with a convincing victory in both mentality and playing style. Real Madrid crumbled early, conceding three goals in the first 24 minutes. If not for goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois' excellent performance, they could have suffered an even heavier defeat.

Dembele solidifies his position as the leading contender for the 2025 Ballon d'Or. After winning four titles with PSG, Dembele was already a strong candidate for the Ballon d'Or. With two goals against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in the FIFA Club World Cup knockout stages, the French forward is closer than ever to claiming the biggest individual award of the year. The Ballon d'Or organizers will announce the nominees in August and present the award in September. The timing of the Club World Cup, just before the announcement, gives Dembele an advantage over his rivals Lamine Yamal and Mohamed Salah.

Coach Xabi Alonso starts to feel the pressure at Real Madrid. In the 2024-2025 season, after defeats against Barcelona in all competitions, including two losses by scores of 4-0 and 5-2, former coach Carlo Ancelotti was forced to leave Real Madrid. Even winning two Champions League titles and two La Liga titles in the past four years couldn't save him. Now, with the 4-0 loss to PSG, Alonso is beginning to understand his predecessor's experience. Real Madrid demands immediate results and doesn't wait for a coach to develop.

Ngoc Tuan (according to Marca)

Photo: Reuters, AFP, Club, AP