Author: Chandra Moulee Das
Inter Milan pulled off an impressive comeback in a pre-season friendly against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in Tokyo on Tuesday, winning 2-1 with two late goals. PSG initially took the lead with Vitinha’s goal early in the second half, but Sebastiano Esposito and Stefano Sensi scored crucial goals in the final 10 minutes to give the Champions League runners-up a well-deserved victory.
Neymar, still recovering from a right ankle injury suffered in February, was included among PSG’s substitutes but did not take to the field.
The Brazilian said:“I’m feeling good, but I don’t know when I’ll play again. It is very likely that he will play again on August 3, when the team travels to South Korea to face Jeonbuk Hyundai in the K-League.
Another Brazilian player, Marquinhos started the match and played for 70 minutes, during which PSG were leading. However, after his substitution, the Italians quickly turned the game around, scoring two goals in just two minutes.
The turning point for Inter Milan came in the 81st minute, when Fratezzi provided an assist for Esposito, followed by another assist for Sensi in the 83rd minute to secure the winning goals.
Lucas Hernandez, who recently joined PSG from Bayern Munich, acknowledged that the team is still adapting to new coach Enrique’s tactics and style of play.
The 2018 World Cup winner said: “We’re not worried. It’s true that in soccer the most important thing is the result, but we know that at the moment we’re adapting to a new coach who demands a lot from us.“
Throughout PSG’s visit to Japan, the spotlight was on the absence of superstar striker Kylian Mbappe. He was unexpectedly left out of the squad shortly before the team’s match, sparking speculation about his future with the French champions.
PSG’s pre-season results include a 2-0 win against Le Havre, a goalless draw with Al-Nasr and defeats to Cerezo Osaka (2-3) and Inter Milan (1-2). PSG will kick off their next Ligue 1 campaign with a home game against Lorient on August 12.