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Paris Saint-Germain ended their 2022 pre-season Japan tour with a thumping 6-2 win over Gamba Osaka at the Suita City Stadium on Monday (July 25). Goals from Lionel Messi, Neymar, Pablo Sarabia and Nuno Mendes ensured the Parisian side came out on top. Keisuke Kurokawa and Hiroto Yamami scored for the J1 League side in either half.
Fielding a strong attacking lineup of Neymar, Messi and Sarabia, the French giants started on the front foot. Both Messi and Sarabia came close to scoring but the Osaka backline held firm. The hosts themselves went close to breaking the deadlock on a few occasions but lacked the clinical touch to beat Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal.
It took the Ligue 1 side 28 minutes to find the opener. On a quick counterattack, Messi found himself in the opposition box with just the defender to beat. His shot was saved by Masaaki Higashiguchi, but the rebound fell kindly to Sarabia, who made no mistake in finding the back of the net.
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Before Osaka could recover from conceding, they found themselves 2-0 down. Neymar won a penalty after being brought down inside the box by the trailing leg of a defender. The Brazilian stepped up and sent the ’keeper the wrong way to double the French champions’ lead.
The floodgates were seemingly open as the game saw another goal scored in the space of a minute, only this time it was at the other end. Donnarumma did well to thwart the Japanese side’s counterattack, but wing-back Keisuke Kurokawa was in the right place to turn home the rebound and make it 2-1.
It took Paris Saint-Germain just four minutes to restore their two-goal lead. Vitinha’s raking cross-field pass found Mendes alone in the box and the left wing-back did well to bring the ball under control before finishing past the keeper at the far post. Two minutes later, Messi got his name on the scoresheet when he made a fantastic run between defenders to convert Neymar’s low pass into the box to give PSG a 4-1 lead going into the break.
While Osaka made six changes at the start of the second half, Christophe Galtier chose not to make any changes for PSG. On the hour mark, Messi found Neymar with a sublime through ball and the Brazilian slotted the ball into the back of the net to make it 5-1.
Osaka got a goal back when Kurokawa cut into the box and found Hiroto Yamami with a cross across the face of the goal. The 22-year-old forward finished from close range, much to the delight of the home fans. Kylian Mbappe, on as a substitute, got his name on the scoresheet in the final minutes after converting a penalty he won. PSG thus completed an emphatic 6-2 victory in their final pre-season game in Japan.
On that note, here are five players who impressed for Paris-Saint Germain against Gamba Osaka:
#1 Neymar
There has been a lot of talk about Neymar being surplus to requirements at Paris Saint-Germain. He has been linked with a move to the likes of Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester United. However, the 30-year-old was always confident about continuing his sojourn with the Parisian club, and he showed his attacking prowess against Gamba Osaka.
He dropped deep and went wide to drag defenders out of position and used his pace to beat his markers. Besides his brace, he created multiple chances for his teammates. His linkup with Messi was especially noteworthy, bringing back memories of the partnership they displayed when at Barcelona. Based on this showing, PSG are a stronger side with Neymar in the team.
#2 Pablo Sarabia
Paris Saint-Germain deemed Pablo Sarabia not good enough to stay in France, sending him on loan to Sporting CP. The Spaniard rediscovered his mojo in Portugal, scoring 15 times in the league and 21 times in all competitions. Despite his successful loan stint, the 30-year-old was expected to be let go by Mauricio Pochettino.
However, it’s the Argentinian manager who has moved on and with Galtier now in charge, it looks like the attacking midfielder is thriving under the new management.
He did well to support Messi and Neymar in attack, while painstakingly dropping back every time PSG were on the backfoot. He might not be the most illustrious name in the squad, but he could be a very serviceable player in a season where PSG are expected to go deep in all tournaments.
#3 Lionel Messi
On the pitch last season, Lionel Messi could not match the fanfare his move to Paris Saint-Germain generated. He took time to adapt to the team, struggled with injuries and couldn’t get on to his teammates’ wavelength when playing. Despite that, many expected the Argentinian sensation to come back strong following a much-needed summer break.
The 35-year-old looks revitalized now, with silky moves and deft touches coming back into his game.
Starting as a striker on paper, he frequently dropped deep to get involved in the attack. He sprayed passes to both sides and found gaps between defenders to find overlapping teammates regularly.
His goal in the first half showed that he has not lost any of his instincts. If he stays fit and continues to perform like he did at the Suita City Stadium, Paris Saint-Germain will be a force to be reckoned with this year.
#4 Vitinha
Galtier and Luis Campos have brought in a much-needed change to Paris Saint-Germain's transfer approach.
With the squad crying out for a versatile, attacking-minded midfielder, Campos made no delay in luring Vitor Ferreira, aka Vitinha, from FC Porto. Based on initial viewing, the €41.5 million fee they spent to sign him looks like it will be worth every penny.
The all-action midfielder was heavily involved at both ends of the pitch, putting in crunching tackles and joining in attacks at the other end. One moment of brilliance from him was the fantastic ball over the defense to find Nuno Mendes, who converted the opportunity into a goal with aplomb.
#5 Marquinhos
In the nine years since Paris Saint-Germain signed Marquinhos, many big-money players have come and gone. Few have managed to make a mark like the Brazilian defender has. Now the captain of the side, Galtier's system of using three defenders at the back suits Marquinhos perfectly.
When in possession, he has the technical ability to step up and act as an extra midfielder, helping the team push forward with numbers. When defending, he marshals the backline and is vocal about getting those around him to fall back and track opposition players.
In what will be his tenth season in Paris, the 28-year-old has established himself as one of, if not the, most important players at Paris Saint-Germain.
