A tough match for the girls

Despite a great start, the Paris Saint-Germain Women’s team went down 2-1 to Manchester City at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami to finish the International Champions Cup in fourth place. Olivier Echouafni started with a 4-5-1 with Christiane Endler returning between the posts and offering starts to Anissa Lahmari, Melike Pekel, Davinia Vanmechelen and Rania Aouina.

The French Cup winners made a brilliant start when Anissa Lahmari released Kadidiatou Diani down the right and her cross was met by Melike Pekel to open the scoring with the very first attack of the match (1’) – her first in Rouge et Bleu. Paris dominated the first half but it took an incredible save from Endler (23’) to preserve the capital club’s lead. City equalised just before half-time when midfielder Jill Scott headed home a corner. And there was still time for the English side to take the lead before half-time as City captain Stéphanie Houghton headed her side in front (45+2’).

Olivier Echouafni made a number of changes throughout the second half but there was no change to the score, despite a great header from Ashley Lawrence (76’) and a superb volley from Andrine Hegerberg in the final seconds. It finished 2-1.

Olivier Echouafni:
“We really made a great start, scoring early and setting ourselves up perfectly. We played really well in the first half an hour, disciplined, organised and creating scoring chances. But we started to sit too deep in the final stages of the first half as we started to tire a little physically, and you pay for that at the highest level. Obviously we have a very young squad, with little experience and many players that a debuting in the top flight, and here we are playing against the best teams in the world. We conceded goals from two set pieces – City’s only two chances in the game. It’s true that they are bigger than us, more athletic, but sooner or later you have to be able to compete in every domain.”

Paris Saint-Germain end the US Tour with a defeat, but also plenty of positives to take from the pre-season camp. Paris Saint Germain Women now take on Bayern Munich on 10 August in the Toulouse International Lady’s Cup, in France’s south west.