Inter Milan staged a comeback to defeat Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) 2-1 in a pre-season friendly held in Tokyo. PSG took an early lead with a goal from Vitinha in the second half, but Inter Milan made a late surge with Sebastiano Esposito and Stefano Sensi scoring in the final 10 minutes to secure the victory.
Although Neymar was part of PSG’s lineup, he remained on the bench for the entire match. The Brazilian player has been sidelined since sustaining a right ankle injury in February, which required surgery the following month.
The game marked the conclusion of PSG’s visit to Japan, which was marred by the absence of Kylian Mbappe. The superstar striker was left out of the squad prior to the team’s departure, raising doubts about his future with the French champions.
During a press conference, Hernandez, who recently joined Inter Milan from Bayern Munich, expressed confidence in the team’s progress under new coach Enrique. He acknowledged the importance of achieving results in football but emphasized the ongoing adjustment period required under a new coach.
After rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament during France’s opening World Cup match against Australia in November, Hernandez stated that he is gradually regaining full fitness. He shared that his knee has been responding well to training and that he anticipates being “at 200 percent” when the league begins.
In previous matches in Japan, PSG drew 0-0 with Al-Nassr, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, and then suffered a 3-2 defeat against J-League team Cerezo Osaka. PSG will now travel to South Korea to face K-League side Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.
The French champions will kick off their new league campaign at home against Lorient on August 12. In the friendly against Inter Milan, PSG dominated the early stages of the game, with Marco Asensio hitting the post and Achraf Hakimi missing a free-kick opportunity. However, it was Vitinha who found the back of the net in the second half. Inter Milan’s Esposito equalized in the 81st minute, and Sensi secured their victory two minutes later. Vitinha had an opportunity to equalize in the final moments of the match but failed to convert a free-kick.
