After a spectacular friendly match, Lionel Messi’s PSG won Thursday against Cristiano Ronaldo and the selection of Riyadh Season (5-4).
Spectators at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh got their money’s worth. Coming to fill the crowded stands of the Saudi enclosure en masse, the football fans were certainly delighted. Firstly because the goals were very numerous, then because there was commitment and spectacle throughout a meeting finally won by Paris Saint-Germain (4-5). Opposite, the Riyadh Season selection, made up of various players from Al Hilal and Al Nassr, was able to benefit in particular from the talent of Cristiano Ronaldo, author of a double in the first period.
Everything started very quickly in this friendly match since Lionel Messi opened the scoring on PSG’s first shot on target in the third minute. Then Keylor Navas lost his lucidity, with a very dangerous fist outing against Cristiano Ronaldo. Face reddened and swollen, the Portuguese still hit the penalty to equalize (1-1, 34th). Paris continued to waver when Juan Bernat committed a fault in the position of last defender, collecting a direct red (39th). But the visitors of the day came to their senses to regain the advantage thanks to Marquinhos on a pass from Kylian Mbappé (1-2, 43rd).
Ronaldo gets a double
The scenario was again wrapped up in stoppage time in the first period. After a missed penalty by Neymar (45th + 3), Ronaldo came out of his box to equalize in two stages, taking advantage of a mess from Sergio Ramos (2-2, 45th + 6). The latter would catch up less than ten minutes after the restart to score his team’s third goal, on a new pass from Mbappé (2-3, 53rd). Sufficient ? Not yet since Riyadh Season returned to height on a perfect header from Jang Jyun-Soo (3-3, 56th). Something to sting Parisian pride once again. On a new penalty, Kylian Mbappé scored his goal (3-4, 60th).
And after a very large turnover, Hugo Ekitiké offered the break to his team (3-5, 78th). But the final word was for the locals, with a splendid goal signed Anderson Talisca (4-5, 90th + 4). The short trip of PSG is therefore over. Ten million euros in the coffers for this friendly match. It remains to be seen how organisms will react. Elements of response next Monday, on the occasion of a sixteenth final of the Coupe de France against Pays de Cassel.
