Luis Enrique won’t be much further ahead after this less than shimmering draw. The Japanese public in Osaka did not see any goals between the Spanish coach’s Paris Saint-Germain and Al-Nassr this Tuesday (0-0), the fault of organizations not yet developed and a certain awkwardness in the two surfaces. In fact, PSG have rarely been so close to scoring as on Carlos Soler’s free kick from the start, a strike from 20 meters which would have cleared the skylight without a parade from Nawaf Al-Aqidi (2nd).
PSG is still in the run-in. Kylian Mbappé was obviously not there, Neymar not fit, Nuno Mendes and Kang-in Lee injured. Enrique managed his own with nine changes per hour of play. Necessary, because Paris had the greatest difficulty starting the 2nd period. He was coming off 45 minutes where 18-year-old Noha Lemina was by far the most restless on his left side.
Countered in the area (22nd), dangerous center (37th), shot above (42nd): Lemina tried. Opposite, Cristiano Ronaldo too, and it took an excellent reflex from Gianluigi Donnarumma to disgust him, on a six-meter volley (39th). The Portuguese, 38, was sharp, like an acrobatic return that made the stadium shiver (45th).
Chills, there were shy ones after Enrique’s many changes. Revitalized, Paris has reassumed its status, with Marco Verratti as conductor. But neither Ismaël Gharbi (70th) nor Ilyes Housni (73rd, 84th) were able to materialize the high recoveries of PSG, which we are likely to see often in Ligue 1 this season. Next meeting for Paris, still in Japan and without Mbappé, this Friday (12:20 p.m.) against Cerezo Osaka.
