TOKYO: Lionel Messi scored but Paris Saint-Germain were made to work hard for a 2-1 win over Kawasaki Frontale on Wednesday in the first match of their pre-season Japanese tour.
Star forward Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe all started in new PSG manager Christophe Galtier’s first game in charge of his full squad in front of a crowd of 65,000 at Tokyo’s National Stadium.
Messi opened the scoring with a 32nd-minute shot but a much-changed PSG line-up in the second half could manage only one more goal through substitute Arnaud Kalimuendo.
J-League champions Kawasaki pulled a goal back in the 84th minute when Kazuya Yamamura headed home unmarked to set up a nervy finish.
PSG will play two more J-League sides on their Japanese tour, taking on Urawa Reds in Saitama on Saturday and Gamba Osaka in Osaka the following Monday.
PSG had most of the early possession but the first real chance fell to Kawasaki.
A pass forward split the PSG defense and released striker Marcinho, only for the Brazilian to put the ball wide with the goal at his mercy.
Kawasaki goalkeeper Jung Song-ryong denied Mbappe a minute later after Messi had played him in on goal.
Kawasaki’s Chanathip Songkrasin — nicknamed the “Thai Messi” — then cleared a shot from his Argentine namesake off the line to keep the game scoreless.
But Messi found a way through shortly after, guiding a shot into the corner from just inside the box.
Neymar and Mbappe departed at half-time and Kawasaki forward Kei Chinen missed a glorious chance to equalize when he blazed over the bar in the 50th minute.
Messi bowed out soon after as Galthier, newly arrived from Nice, rung the changes.
Substitute Kalimuendo doubled PSG’s lead when he turned home Juan Bernat’s low cross in the 58th minute, before Yamamura pulled one back with six minutes left to play.
Messi scores as PSG labor past Japan’s Kawasaki
https://arab.news/nkj6x
Messi scores as PSG labor past Japan’s Kawasaki
- Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe all started in new PSG manager Christophe Galtier's first game
- Messi opened the scoring with a 32nd-minute shot
Saudi Pro League warns Al-Nassr’s Ronaldo no player is bigger than club
RIYADH: The Saudi Pro League has warned Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo that “no individual – however significant – determines decisions beyond their own club” amid doubts over his future at Al–Nassr.
Ronaldo, reportedly unhappy at the club’s lack of transfer activity, did not take part in the club’s Saud Pro League win at Al-Riyadh on Monday and is now set to miss Friday night’s clash against Al-Ittihad.
In a statement issued to BBC Sport, a Saudi Pro League spokesperson said: “The Saudi Pro League is structured around a simple principle: every club operates independently under the same rules.
“Clubs have their own boards, their own executives and their own football leadership. Decisions on recruitment, spending and strategy sit with those clubs, within a financial framework designed to ensure sustainability and competitive balance. That framework applies equally across the league.”
The 40-year Ronaldo missed Al-Nassr’s match against Al-Riyadh on Monday amid reports he is on strike over the club’s lack of transfer activity.
Portuguese media outlet A Bola reported that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner was unhappy that Al-Nassr, which is backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, has not strengthened its squad as it challenges for the league title.
“Cristiano has been fully engaged with Al–Nassr since his arrival and has played an important role in the club’s growth and ambition,” the Saudi Pro League spokesperson said.
“Like any elite competitor, he wants to win.
“But no individual – however significant – determines decisions beyond their own club.
“Recent transfer activity demonstrates that independence clearly. One club strengthened in a particular way. Another chose a different approach. Those were club decisions, taken within approved financial parameters.”
The Saudi Pro League spokesperson added: “The competitiveness of the league speaks for itself. With only a few points separating the top four, the title race is very much alive. That level of balance reflects a system that is working as intended.
“The focus remains on football – on the pitch, where it belongs – and on maintaining a credible, competitive competition for players and fans.”
