Who can stop Paris Saint-Germain at the Club World Cup?

Paris Saint-Germain go into the Club World Cup as ultra-favourites. In their first match, the club from the French capital take on Atletico Madrid in Los Angeles.

Having just won the Champions League for the first time in their history, PSG will also be attempting to win their first Club World Cup.

The club from the capital will be the big favourites going into this competition with its new format, with the intention of crushing everything in its path.

The competition will be tough, but given their form, confidence and timing, who can really stop this team?

In their first match, Atletico will be their opponents. This is a club well known to manager Luis Enrique, his staff and the players, since they met last November at the Parc des Princes, a match that ended in victory for the Spaniards thanks to a last-gasp goal from Angel Correa.

If there were any doubts about PSG back then - even if the defeat came as a real surprise - they now seem to be light years ahead of the Colchoneros. The perfect test, then, to kick off their Club World Cup campaign.

The first hurdle before the obstacle course

Luis Enrique's men are aiming for a quintuple, but first they have to get past Atletico, and if possible, in style.

There is one important factor to bear in mind for this encounter in Los Angeles: the temperature is expected to reach 31C, which could feel more like 38C.

For the Parisiens, "the key word is adaptation", according to RMC Sport. In particular, they report that the Parisian squad has been preparing up until now to adapt as closely as possible to the match schedule and the expected conditions.

Their medical staff and athletic performance staff are "paying close attention" to this and are "focusing on hydration and recovery with the players".

Now, the conditions will also be the same for Atletico, who, it is fair to say, might be better used to this climate, given that in Madrid, the heat is part of everyday life. So while they will be a tough nut to crack, they will also have to adapt to the match environment, two major obstacles that could affect the way they approach the game.

How do you deal with the pressure and weak moments? How important will ball control be in giving the players a break? Will they have to be as intense as usual? These are very real questions as we prepare for this first match, which will give us an indication of which team will finish atop Group B.

But does finishing top of your group have any real bearing on the rest of the tournament?

As the format is modelled on the 'real' World Cup, this would allow you to face the runner-up from Group A in the round of 16, either FC Porto, Inter Miami, Palmeiras or Al Ahly.

A rather forgiving opponent, be that as it may, in a group where the Porto are the clear favourites.

Nevertheless, whether or not it is worth finishing top of your group is a question that must be asked from the quarter-finals onwards.

By finishing first, and if there are no surprises, PSG could meet Chelsea in the quarter-finals, Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid or Juventus in the semi-finals, with a final against Inter, Bayern Munich or Manchester City awaiting them.

Otherwise, it would be Bayern in the quarter-finals, Inter or City in the semi-finals, and Atlético Madrid, Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid or Juventus at the MetLife Stadium on July 13th.

Two obstacle courses, even if 'option A' seems slightly more accessible. In any case, the best formula for PSG remains to be the best team in the competition, as in the Champions League.