On July 20, a friendly match took place between the French champion PSG and the Japanese club Kawasaki Fortale.

Lionel Messi scored but Paris Saint-Germain were made to work hard for a 2-1 win over Kawasaki Frontale on Wednesday in the first match of their pre-season Japanese tour.

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Club Friendlies 2022

Kawasaki Frontale

1-2

PSG

Goals: L. Messi (32′) – (0-1). A. Kalimuendo (58′) – (0-2). K. Yamamura (84′) – (1-2).

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The French club had star strikers Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe starting the first leg in front of a crowd of 65,000 at the Tokyo National Stadium.

Messi opened the scoring with a shot in the 32nd minute, but a greatly changed PSG line-up could only score one goal in the second half thanks to substitute Arno Calimuendo.

Japanese club Kawasaki pulled back in the 84th minute as Kazuya Yamamura went to score an unmarked goal to finish.

PSG had most of their early possession, but Kawasaki got his first real chance.

The striker’s pass split the PSG defense and freed striker Marcinho, but the Brazilian sent the ball wide of the mark.

Kawasaki goalkeeper Jung Sung Ryong turned down Mbappe a minute after Messi scored him on goal.

But soon Messi found a way out, sending a shot into the corner directly from the penalty area.

Neymar and Mbappe left at half-time, and Kawasaki striker Kei Chinen missed a great chance to equalize when he shot over the bar in the 50th minute.

Substitute Kalimuendo doubled PSG’s lead when he saved a low cross from Juan Bernat in the 58th minute before Yamamura pulled one back with six minutes left in the game.

As a result, PSG won this match, which gives a good training before the initial season of the French championship.