Messi, Neymar star as rampant PSG end Japan tour in style
Paris Saint-Germain's Brazilian forward Neymar (R) chats with his teammate Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (L) prior to their PSG's Japan Tour football match against Gamba Osaka at Suita stadium in Osaka on July 25, 2022. (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP)
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Paris Saint-Germain's new coach Christophe Galtier said his
side conceded "two goals too many" despite Lionel Messi and Neymar
combining to deadly effect in a 6-2 thrashing of Gamba Osaka on Monday.
Neymar scored a brace and Messi bagged one in Osaka as a
rampant PSG rounded off their pre-season trip to Japan with a third win in as
many games.
The French champions will now head to Israel to play Nantes
in the French Super Cup in Tel Aviv on July 31.
Galtier, taking charge of the full squad for the first time
since joining PSG from Nice this summer, said playing J-League teams in the
middle of their domestic season had "forced us to raise our physical
level".
"We trained a lot, we played a lot with little recovery
time," he said, after PSG's third game in the space of six days.
"But overall I'm satisfied both with this match and
more generally with the three matches we've had here in Japan."
Star forwards Neymar and Messi both played the opening 70
minutes against Gamba, and Neymar scored a first-half penalty before setting up
a goal for his Argentine team-mate.
Messi then returned the favour in the second half, releasing
Neymar for the Brazilian to notch his second goal of the game.
Kylian Mbappe got his name on the scoresheet with a late
penalty after coming on for the final 30 minutes.
Pablo Sarabia and Nuno Mendes also scored for PSG, but
Galtier was concerned by the way his team conceded two at the other end to
Gamba, who lie 16th in the 18-team J-League table.
"There is still a lot of work because we conceded two
goals, which is two too many," he said.
"I hope that even when we have a substantial lead, we
will be more difficult to beat when we have to defend as a team. We must be
more structured."
PSG beat J-League champions Kawasaki Frontale 2-1 in their first game in Japan last Wednesday before downing Urawa Reds 3-0 three days later.


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