Doha: Paris Saint-Germain crashed out of the Al Kass International Cup in dramatic fashion last night, slumping to a second defeat at the hands of Kashiwa Reysol following their loss to FC Barcelona in the competition’s opening match on Monday.
Last year’s runners-up and 2012 champions, PSG were among the pre-tournament favourites, and their group stage elimination represents a considerable upset.
Needing just a draw to progress, Reysol looked to keep PSG out of the game with the same man-to-man defending tactics that they had used to shackle Barcelona for so long on Tuesday.
In contrast, PSG Head Coach Francois Rodrigues had his players positioned much further up the pitch than had been the case earlier in the week, knowing that only a win would be enough to secure progress. To his side’s credit, in the opening stages it appeared that PSG’s adventurous approach would pay dividends.
For much of the first half, free-scoring French striker Odsonne Edouard once again presented a real attacking threat.
Going into the game having scored 18 in his last 11 competitive games, including a hat-trick against FCB, Edouard provided a physical presence that the much shorter Japanese opposition defenders struggled to contain.
In the 42nd minute the Japanese team went ahead with a counter-attack that seemed to have come straight from the training field.
Making the most of a wasted PSG corner, Reysol’s 15-year-old Tiago Ota charged down the left wing, tearing the Parisian defence apart with a lightning-fast run. Striker Kyohei Otani converted Osa’s accurate cross with aplomb.
PSG emerged re-energised for the second half with two attacking substitutions which quickly brought reward.
Pouring forward and starting to play some attractive passing football, the Frenchmen got their equaliser just three minutes after the break when the newly introduced Samuel Essende found space inside the Kashiwa box before firing past Taigo Someya.
The Parisians began to run out of steam, and in the 77 minute a delightful move drew PSG keeper Chesnaeu from his line before a cross-field ball left Otani with an open goal to aim at.
He made no mistake, finishing his second of the game and condemning PSG to an early exit..
In another match, a majestic display from AC Milan saw the Italians trounce AJ Auxerre.
Hat-tricks from Patrick Cutrone and Cosimo La Ferrara, along with a goal from captain Andrea Malberti, contributed to a 7-0 drubbing of AJ Auxerre.
The Peninsula
