Exclusive: Khvicha Kvaratshkelia on why PSG are thriving off the ball - without Kylian Mbappe

Despite setting a record for the most goals from a Real Madrid player in his rookie season, eclipsing the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Ruud van Nistelrooy, and despite finishing as the top scorer in LaLiga, Mbappe was helpless as Barcelona claimed the two most important trophies in Spain (Copa del Rey and LaLiga title).

However, the biggest humiliation would come not in domestic competition, but in international competition. Real Madrid missed out on the UEFA Champions League semifinals for the first time in five years after losing to Arsenal, whilst PSG would go on to win their first-ever Champions League title after demolishing Inter Milan 5-0 in the final.

It meant that, if Mbappe was going to settle the score against his former club, it would have to come in the FIFA Club World Cup. Both teams got off to a rocky start, with Real Madrid drawing to Al-Hilal in their opener, whilst PSG would beat Atletico Madrid before losing to Botafogo.

Real Madrid would bounce back in style by defeating Pachuca, Red Bull Salzburg, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund, whilst PSG trounced Seattle Sounders, Inter Miami and Bayern Munich, setting up a scintillating semifinal showdown between Real and PSG in East Rutherford.

It looked set to be a fascinating battle between two European heavyweights -- in the end, it ended up being men against boys. PSG pinned Real into their own half from start to finish and bossed the match thanks to their coordinated pressing and smooth passing style. After just six minutes, they capitalized on a mistake from Antonio Rudiger and broke the deadlock via Fabian Ruiz.

Just a few minutes later, Ousmane Dembele caught Rudiger napping and robbed him of possession before coolly slotting into the back of the net. And in the 24th minute, Achraf Hakimi combined with Dembele and exploded into the final third before teeing up Fabian, who kept his composure, held off Federico Valverde and slotted in the third. Goncalo Ramos put the cherry on top in the final minutes, firing in the fourth and final goal to cap off a long night of domination.

The gap in quality between Real Madrid and PSG in possession was evident, but perhaps an even greater chasm was their application off the ball. Whereas the French side pressed like a pack of hungry hyenas and tracked back with diligence, Real Madrid's players walked around and barely forced the issue, even when they were down by three goals.

Whereas Xabi Alonso still has plenty of work to do as he looks to imprint the importance of pressing in his Real Madrid players, Luis Enrique has managed to inculcate the importance of defensive work rate in every single one of his PSG players, including Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratshkelia.

Speaking to FourFourTwo prior to the match, Kvaratshkelia admitted, "I think I've improved a lot in defense with Enrique. Of course, I was with Antonio Conte at Napoli and I was working with him and was quite good in that. But here, everyone in the team shows in defense in attack. In the mixed stages, you have teams where if you're not defending well, they will score the goals, so I think I've improved a lot in defense at PSG."

Unlike Mbappe, Kvaratshkelia has showcased plenty of dedication off the ball since arriving from Napoli in January, constantly willing to track back and put in a tackle as well as forcing the issue with his constant pressing. It's this selfishness out of possession which has seen PSG become one of the finest teams of this generation.