Les Parisiens make it two for two against Kawasaki Frontale!
In a great atmosphere for the first outing of their Japanese tour, Paris Saint-Germain ran out 2-1 winners against a valiant Kawasaki Frontale side, thus confirming the good first impressions set by Christophe Galtier's team. We take a look back at the match!
The French champions against the Japanese champions, a temperature of 31°C, an opening ceremony and more than 60,000 Tokyoites... The scene was set. For the first very match of their tour of Japan, the capital club knew that they were being eagerly awaited, not just by the fans but also by a team that was determined to give them a hard time. Christophe Galtier therefore looked to take up the challenge with a star-studded XI. With three defenders to keep things tidy at the back, three attackers to devastate the opposition backline and a new signing in midfield, it promised to be a sensational Wednesday evening at Japan's National Stadium.
Right from the off, Les Parisiens set the tone. After two quickfire efforts from Kylian Mbappé (27'), several chances for Neymar Jr and Leo Messi (31') and one masterclass from the home side's 'keeper to deny our strikers, it was eventually the Argentine who managed to beat the Japanese goalie through sheer perseverance, with a deflected strike coming at the end of a lovely move initiated by Mbappé (0-1, 31').
Of course, once the floodgates were open, Les Parisiens started to get comfortable in the opposition box. Whilst the Japanese side weren't lacking in courage or audacity in their attempts to test our rearguard, the Paris Saint-Germain players remained highly professional to avoid conceding any goals.
As these pre-season matches naturally leave room for rotation, Galtier rearranged his XI at the break, giving all of the outfield players on his substitutes' bench a chance to enjoy the fun.
This didn't change Les Parisiens' modus operandi, though, nor did it change that of their opponents, with Kawasaki Frontale still determined to try their luck. It was Les Rouge et Bleu who scored the second goal of the game, however, thanks to substitute Arnaud Kalimuendo, who finished off a routine move (2-0, 59'). The final half-hour gave rise to a handful of chances, and the hosts eventually reduced the deficit through a Kazuya Yamamura header (1-2, 85').
Wearing their brand-new away kit, Les Parisiens ended up grabbing their second win in as many pre-season games and gave us a few insights in the process, such as Leo Messi's fine form, a decidedly promising debut from Vitinha and Coach Galtier's propensity to start with three at the back. The journey continues on Saturday with the second game of our Japanese tour, this time against Urawa Red Diamonds.