OSAKA: Paris Saint-Germain’s Japan tour got off to a subdued start on Tuesday as they played out a 0-0 draw against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr in Osaka.
The anticipation of seeing Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar on the field, which had drawn Japanese fans to stadiums during PSG’s friendlies last year, was unmet this time. Messi has moved to Major League Soccer side Inter Miami, Neymar has been sidelined due to a knee injury since February, and Mbappe was surprisingly left out of the squad with uncertainty surrounding his future at the club.
In the match, Carlos Soler attempted an ambitious free-kick early in the second minute, but Al Nassr goalkeeper Nawaf Alaqidi made a fine save. PSG’s Noha Lemina had a chance 20 minutes later but narrowly missed the target.
Ronaldo Goal Attempts for Al Nassr
The spotlight was on Cristiano Ronaldo, and he had a couple of attempts that garnered the most reactions from the relatively modest crowd of 25,432 in the first half. Gianluigi Donnarumma denied Ronaldo’s close-range effort, and later, an acrobatic overhead kick went wide, though it wouldn’t have counted as he was offside.
In the second half, both teams made numerous substitutions, with Ronaldo departing after 66 minutes. Despite PSG’s young talent Ilyes Housni showing promise after coming on, neither side managed to break the deadlock.
PSG’s next friendly match will be against Cerezo Osaka on Friday before they head to Tokyo to face Inter Milan. Meanwhile, Al Nassr will take on Inter in Osaka on Thursday.
