A little more advanced. Just a little bit. Paris Saint-Germain conceded a second defeat in a row in this pre-season, this Tuesday in Tokyo against Inter Milan (1-2), less than two weeks before the resumption of Ligue 1. Luis Enrique were hardly worried for 80 minutes, before conceding two goals in quick succession and seeing the result escape them.
With rookies Lucas Hernandez, Milan Skriniar, Manuel Ugarte and Marco Asensio starting, Paris presented themselves in a 4-3-3 much seen since the start of their preparation. The lessons to be learned were bound to be limited, because Kylian Mbappé is dismissed, Neymar still preserved, and a renowned center-forward is still hoped for before the end of the transfer window. Hopeful and necessary, because the bat still hurt the finish for Paris.
The Parisians started off with a bang, asphyxiating the Interists in their camp. Vitinha stumbled on Filip Stankovic after a combination from a corner (8th) and Asensio found the post after a superb collective movement. It took between 15 and 20 minutes for Inter, finalists of the last Champions League, to rebalance the debates. Lautaro Martinez (20th) and Hakan Calhanoglu (28th) timidly asked Gianluigi Donnarumma, serene.
PSG seemed on the right track at half-time, in front of a large Japanese audience for this gala match. The start of the second period, played at a false pace, turned out to be less successful than the first. Until a high Parisian recovery, concluded by a cannonball from Vitinha, outside the surface, in the interior skylight (63rd, 1-0).
While the changes swarmed from one camp to the other, Paris remained master of the game, thanks in particular to the efforts and accuracy of Warren Zaire-Emery, 17, in the middle. An individual feat from Juan Cuadrado, followed by a deflected shot by Donnarumma (79th), served as a warning. Before the meeting changes.
An off-time Parisian pressing allowed Davide Frattesi to shift Sebastiano Esposito into the area. A flat right foot and the Italian equalized for Inter (81st, 1-1). In the process, on a counter-attack, Frattesi again signaled himself with a low cross from the right. Alone at the far post, Stefano Sensi knocked out PSG (83rd, 1-2).
The players of Luis Enrique, who left Presnel Kimpembe, Marco Verratti and Hugo Ekitike on the bench, never seemed capable of turning the tide in turn. Second loss in a row after the one against Cerezo Osaka (2-3), and zero victory after three matches in Asia. Last chance against Jeonbuk Motors FC on Thursday (10 a.m.) before the start of the Ligue 1 season on Saturday August 12 (9 p.m.), at the Parc des Princes against Lorient.