Aurier bags brace as PSG down Inter 3-1

Published July 26, 2016
EUGENE: Inter Milan’s Rodrigo Palacio (L) attempts a cross under pressure from Paris St Germain’s Presnel Kimpembe.—AP
EUGENE: Inter Milan’s Rodrigo Palacio (L) attempts a cross under pressure from Paris St Germain’s Presnel Kimpembe.—AP

EUGENE (Oregon): Serge Aurier’s two goals lifted Paris Saint-Germain to a 3-1 victory over Inter Milan on Sunday in an International Champions Cup friendly at the University of Oregon’s Autzen Stadium.

Layvin Kurzawa also scored for the French champions with a stunning free kick in the 61st minute, while Stevan Jovetic converted a penalty for the Italian outfit in first-half injury time.

The International Champions Cup is an exhibition tournament involving 17 clubs playing on four different continents, all tuning up for their league seasons.

Sunday’s match was played on a grass pitch laid over the artificial turf at Autzen Stadium, home of the University of Oregon’s gridiron Ducks team.

PSG, under new manager Unai Emery, displayed a lively attack and went ahead in the 15th minute when Hatem Ben Arfa’s free kick was lost by Inter keeper Samir Handanovic and Aurier tapped it in.

Inter pulled level by halftime thanks to Jovetic’s blast from the spot after a penalty awarded for a handball in the area.

Aurier had a good chance in the 57th minute but his shot hit the crossbar. A few minutes later, Kurzawa struck a perfectly placed free kick that Handanovic couldn’t reach that put PSG in front.

Aurier sealed the win when he rose to head home a cross from Alec Georgen in the 87th.

“As a team, of course we played to win,” Emery said through a translator. “It was important as a team that we built the confidence of the players. It was great that we won, but the most important part is that we actually start building the team and create the confidence that we want with the team.”

PSG next face Real Madrid in Columbus, Ohio on Wednesday, and Leicester City next Saturday in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson.

Inter play Bayern Munich in North Carolina next Saturday.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2016

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