Paris earn friendly win over Liverpool

Paris Saint-Germain's women's team continued their pre-season preparations last night with their opening game of the 2023 AMOS Women's French Cup against Liverpool at the Stade Michel Bendichou in Colomiers, southern France. Bolstered by the return of their World Cup stars, Paris were facing a Liverpool side that had already got its pre-season campaign underway, too, losing 1-0 to Birmingham City eight days previously. After winning promotion to the Women's Super League last season, the English outfit were making their second appearance in the competition, while Les Parisiennes were featuring in it for the fifth time.

Just like in his side's previous friendly – a 0-0 draw with Montpellier – Gérard Prêcheur put out a 3-5-2 with Katarzyna Kiedrzynek in between the sticks. At the back, Jade Le Guilly was starting alongside two summer signings: Viola Calligaris and Aïssatou Tounkara. Nicole Payne and Tara Elimbi Gilbert were placed on the wings, while Korbin Albert, Ana Vitória and Laurina Fazer made up the three in the middle. Finally, Sandy Baltimore and Amalie Vangsgaard lined up in attack.

After initially being disrupted by an enterprising and aggressive Reds side, Prêcheur's players eventually bared their teeth. Having been played in nicely by Vangsgaard over on the right wing, Baltimore made her way into the penalty area before sending an inch-perfect cross the way of Vitória, who saw her effort crash against Rachael Laws's post (10'). Then, from a harmless-looking sequence of play in the midfield, Le Guilly nicked the ball from the feet of Miri Taylor and fizzed a shot at goal from all of 25 yards out, which ended up in the bottom corner of the helpless Reds keeper's net (1-0, 20') – it's fair to say that the defender had gone well beyond the call of duty to score an absolute cracker for the capital club.

Les Rouge et Bleu weren't done yet, though. Three minutes later, Baltimore again combined with Vangsgaard in behind the opposition defence, and the Danish striker found the back of the net with a low shot before eventually being flagged offside by the lineswoman (23'). Then, on the stroke of half time, Liverpool reacted quickly to a poor clearance, sending a volley straight onto Kiedrzynek's upright (40').

Shortly after the restart at the Stade Michel Bendichou, Liverpool began to truly get going. The Reds' two strikers, Natasha Flint and the aforementioned Taylor, managed to trouble the Rouge et Bleu keeper but weren't able to find a way past her with a couple of quickfire chances. After a lively start to the second half, the Reds eventually got an equaliser through Flint, who beat Kiedrzynek with a powerful shot at the near post (1-1, 56'). Matt Beard's players then kept up their momentum as they forced the Polish keeper into action three times in the space of just a few minutes (66', 68', 71'). Following a relatively calm end to the game, a winner would have to be decided from the penalty spot, and it was Les Rouge et Bleu who came out on top thanks to a stellar display from Kiedrzynek to win the tie.

The capital club will now be able to focus on the 2023 AMOS Women's French Cup final, where they will face AC Milan on Thursday 31st August at 21:00 CET, again in Colomiers.