Marchisio brace lifts Juventus to 3-2 win over PSG

MIAMI: Claudio Marchisio’s second-half double was enough for Juventus to see off Paris SaintGermain 3-2 on Wednesday and send the French champions home from the United States on the back of two consecutive defeats.

The Italian international scored the goal of the game, a fiercely struck effort in the 62nd to restore Juve’s lead after PSG’s equaliser on 53 minutes.

Although Unai Emery’s team battled hard, as the clock ticked down Moise Kean was brought down in the box allowing Marchisio to win it from the penalty spot.

It was a tough call on PSG defender Layvin Kurzawa, who appeared to become entangled with Kean, but Juventus were not complaining about a decision which capped a decent night’s work for the Italian giants.

Any of the 44,444 who came to the Hard Rock Stadium would have been acutely aware that Miami is preparing itself for the arrivals of European titans Barcelona and Real Madrid on Saturday in what’s being billed as the glittering showpiece of this summer’s International Champions Cup friendly tournament.

Yet while La Liga’s finest wait in the wings, this was a chance for two other stellar clubs to whet the appetite of the voraciously soccer mad inhabitants of South Florida.

It was PSG’s last match in the United States before leaving to meet Monaco in Morocco on Saturday, prior to returning home to fine tune preparations for the start of the domestic season.

Emery’s side have endured a difficult time Stateside, both on and off the pitch.

The results - a penalty win over Roma following a 1-1 draw before being roundly beaten by Tottenham Hotspur in Orlando last Saturday - have been compounded by a very public – and so far unresolved – attempt to prise the Brazilian forward Neymar from Barcelona.

Emery, who admitted PSG are still working on transfer targets but refused to be drawn on specific names, said: “We are looking at how the players are performing rather than the results and I have been pleased.” — AFP