Luis Enrique’s PSG fell this Tuesday defeated 2-3 against the Japanese Cerezo Osaka, who penalized the Parisians for their defensive errors and their lack of ideas in attack, while uncertainty continues about the future of Kylian Mbappé.
The preparatory match played this Friday in Osaka (western Japan) was the second of the Japanese summer tour of the Parisian team after the one played last Tuesday against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, and which ended in a goalless draw.
This Asian tour of PSG is marked by the club’s last-minute decision to leave Mbappé on the ground in the middle of a dispute with the board of directors and given Real Madrid’s supposed interest in taking over the French star.
Luis Enrique opted to maintain the tactical pattern of 4-3-3 from the previous match, with Gharbi, Asensio and Ekitiké as the most advanced men, and once again leaving Neymar on the bench, who did not play a minute in the previous match.
PSG, clearly dominating possession from the start, took the lead in a play started by Asensio from the left in which Zaire-Emery hung a ball into the area that was riveted to the net by Ekitiké.
The advantage lasted only five minutes, the time it took for the Osaka team to take advantage of an error by the rival central defenders when it came to clearing a long ball, which was loose and was used by Croux to beat Donnarumma with a shot close to the post.
Luis Enrique, very active from the wing giving instructions to his players, reproached his team for the lack of concentration that had been portrayed in the goal and in other balls behind their advanced defense.
Cerezo Osaka, fifth ranked in the Japanese league -which is in the middle of the season-, caused many problems for the Parisians with their fast counters.
The Japanese took to the field with a completely renewed eleven in the second half, while Luis Enrique introduced Carlos Soler for Asensio and changed his two full-backs.
The French club used the superior quality that it is supposed to put the score back in its favor against some more physically and tactically shot Japanese. Vitinha shot with subtlety after a beautiful wall of heels from Ekitiké.
But those from Osaka once again took advantage of another defensive error by their rival, this time when the ball was released, to tie through Kitano.
And as if it were a copy of the previous play -although this time from the left side- the effort of Luis Enrique’s pupils to get the ball played from behind gave the Japanese another chance, which they took advantage of with a good shot from the edge of Kagawa in the 79th minute.
PSG moved the ball with quick touches but couldn’t find ways to hurt the Japanese, enjoying only one clear chance to tie Gharbi in the final stage, and while Neymar and the brand new signing Lee Kang-in, both unpublished in this tour, watched the game from the bench after a restless Luis Enrique.
PSG will face Inter Milan in Tokyo next Tuesday, before traveling to South Korea for another friendly against Jeonbuk.
2 – PSG: Donnarumma; Kurzawa (Nhaga, 46), Pereira (Fabian Ruiz, 64), Skriniar, Marquinhos (Achraf Hakimi, 60); Vitinha (Verratti, 65 m), Ugarte (Luis Hernandez, 64 m), Zaire-Emery (Ndour, 65 m); Gharbi, Asensio (Carlos Soler, m.46) and Ekitiké (Lemina, m.65).
3 – Cerezo Osaka: Yang (Shimizu, m.46); Yamanaka (Funaki, m.46), Toriumi (Yamashita, m.46, Maruhashi, m.88), Jonijic (Shindo, m.46), Matsuda (Okuda) Kida (Ishiwatari, m.46), Suzuki (Kagawa, m.46), Capixaba (Arai, m.46), Croux (Maikuma, m.46); Léo (Watanabe, m.60) y Uejo (Kitano, m.46).
Quaffles: 1-0, Ekitiké, m.17. 1-1, Croux, m. 22. 2-1, Vitinha, m.49. 2-2, Kitano, m.67. 2-3, Kagawa, m.79.
Referee: Ryo Tanimoto (JAP). He admonished Fabián Ruiz at m.81.
Incidents: Friendly match played at the Yanmar Nagai Stadium in Osaka before some 32,000 spectators.
