📝 Messi scores as strong PSG team win in Tokyo | OneFootball

Lionel Messi scored his first goal of pre-season as a strong Paris Saint-Germain side beat Kawasaki Frontale in Tokyo.

Scorers: Messi 32′, Kalimuendo 58′; Yamamura 84′.

Christophe Galtier lined up in a 3-4-3 formation in his second game as PSG head coach and handed starts to the likes of Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos and Sergio Ramos.

There was also the small matter of opting for a front three of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, and it was the Argentine who gave the Parisians the lead midway through the first half.

A lofted ball to the back post found Hakimi who laid it off for Messi about 12 yards from the goal and the 35-year-old dispatched into the bottom corner with a first-time right footed strike which took a nick off a defender on the way in.

Arnaud Kalimuendo has been linked with a move to the Premier League in the past week, but youngster came off the bench to make it two in the 58th minute.

Messi was again involved, playing a neat one-two with Juan Bernat who drilled a low cross across the six yard box for Kalimuendo to poke home.

However, the J1 League side made it a nervy ending for the Ligue 1 champions through Kazuya Yamamura’s goal in the 84th minute.

PSG held out and it’s on to Saitama for a clash with Urawa Red Diamonds on Saturday.