PASADENA: Antoine Griezmann scored late in the second half to give Atletico Madrid a 1-0 win over Botafogo but victory could not save them from a group stage exit at the Club World Cup.

Paris Saint-Germain’s 2-0 over Seattle Sounders in Monday’s other Group B game meant the European champions finished level on six points with Botafogo and Atletico.

However, PSG secured top spot thanks to a superior goal difference, with Brazilian side Botafogo also advancing to the last 16 after finishing second.

Atletico, in third, and Seattle, bottom with no points after three games, were eliminated.

Even though they were aware that a two-goal defeat would secure them a place in the next round, Botafogo’s Igor Jesus and Jefferson Savarino forced Atletico keeper Jan Oblak to make a couple of brilliant saves.

However, as Atletico made a late run desperately looking for the three goals they needed, substitute Griezmann fired the winner in the 87th minute from inside the box, a bittersweet goal that denied Botafogo a top-placed finish in the group and handing PSG that accolade.

PSG, who suffered a shock defeat by Botafogo on Friday and were guaranteed a spot in the last 16 with a win over Seattle, scored in each half through Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Achraf Hakimi.

Seattle, who needed to beat PSG by a margin of three goals or more to even stand a chance of progressing, exit the Club World Cup winless after three games played in their home stadium.

PSG broke through in the 35th minute moments after the ball was cleared following a corner but fell to a wide open Vitinha on the edge of the box. Vitinha’s strike was headed off target but bounced off Kvaratskhelia’s back and into the Seattle goal.

They doubled their lead in the 66th minute after substitute Bradley Barcola drove into the area and, after an over-commitment by five Seattle players, spotted a wide open Hakimi who easily finished into the back of the net.

Sunday’s action

Ilkay Gundogan scored two goals as Manchester City comfortably dispatched Emirati club Al-Ain 6-0 to ease into the knockout stage of the Club World Cup from Group G along with Juventus.

The German midfielder found the net in the ninth and 73rd minutes while Argentine teenager Claudio Etcheverri also fired home a free kick and Erling Haaland a penalty before the break.

Substitutes Oscar Bobb and new signing Rayan Cherki sealed the emphatic victory in the last 10 minutes to draw City level on goal difference with Juventus, who beat Wydad Casablanca 4-1 earlier on Sunday.

City and Juventus meet in their final group match in Orlando on Thursday to decide which of them progresses to the round of 16 as group winners.

Gundogan said: “A really good performance. I think we had our moments in the first half, and then also the second part of the second half. I think the result speaks for itself, and in the end, fully deserved.”

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