Author: Chandra Moulee Das
In a highly competitive pre-season friendly in Japan between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Al-Nassr, both teams fought hard to secure victory but ended up drawing. Amid the action on the pitch, the spotlight remained fixed on PSG star Kylian Mbappe’s uncertain future at the club. The Frenchman did not take part in the match. He’ll probably be at another club in the near future. But newcomers Seko Fofana and Brozovic played for Al Nassr. As part of PSG, spectators saw the recently bought Skriniar, Asensio, Ugarte and Lucas Hernández.
The match ended in Osaka with Al-Nassr managing to hold PSG to a creditable draw. The cameras quickly switched their focus to Neymar, who surprisingly remained on the bench for the entire 90 minutes. Although it’s not a game that will be remembered for its emotion, it did see Ethan Mbappe, Kylian’s younger brother, appear in the PSG first team at the incredible age of 16.
Throughout the match, there were several missed chances for both teams. In the 92nd minute, Al-Nassr came close to securing victory in the final minute, but a misplaced pass from Donnarumma allowed PSG to regain possession. Al-Nassr goalkeeper Nawaf Alaqidi redeemed himself with a simple save from the resulting shot.
The lack of quality in attack was evident when Verratti’s free-kick went straight into a two-man PSG wall. PSG had another chance from a free-kick in the 84th minute, but the Al-Nassr defense stood firm.
In the second half, there were several substitutions, with both teams trying to make a difference. Al-Nassr made four changes, including the debut of former Manchester United full-back Alex Telles. PSG, on the other hand, presented their young talents, including Ethan Mbappe, who appeared amid uncertainty about his brother’s future.
Overall, the match may have been unexciting, but it gave PSG’s young players the opportunity to showcase their skills and potentially make a breakthrough in the absence of Lionel Messi and amid the uncertainty surrounding Mbappe and Neymar.