Meeting of Champions - Kitchee 2:6 Paris Saint-Germain

Kitchee locked horns with Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday evening in Hong Kong Stadium for the Meeting of Champions. The Hong Kong league champion delighted the home crowd by opening the score early in the game. Unfortunately, the host could not hold on to its lead and suffered a compelling 2:6 loss on the hands of the visiting PSG.

PSG had the first chance of the game on the 4^th minute when Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s pass slid through the Kitchee box. Gregory Van Der Wiel timed his run perfectly at the far-post but smashed his shot just wide off target.

Kitchee found itself with the lead shortly afterwards, when Matthew Lam’s pass sprung Jorge Tarres through the PSG defense. The Spaniard whipped in a cross from a difficult angle and Juan Belancoso powered his header into the PSG net from close-range. The score was now 1:0.

The visitors drew level on the 12^th minute when a combination of nifty touches saw Jean-Christophe Bahebeck delivered a low cross to the Kitchee goal-mouth. Hervin Ongenda did not disappoint and coolly slotted the ball into the Kitchee goal. The score was now tied at 1:1.

PSG doubled its lead on the 22^nd minute when Javier Pastore’s delicate chip picked out Zlatan Ibrahimovic inside the Kitchee box. The PSG captain then spotted teammate Jean-Christophe Bahebeck on the far side and the latter buried his chance and blasted the ball into the net. The score was now 1:2.

The visitors got on a row and scored their third goal of the evening on the 25^th minute when Zlatan Ibrahimovic capitalized on a defensive blunder by Kitchee and easily found the back of the net.

It was 1:4 on the 28^th minute when the lively Jean-Christophe Bahebeck motored down the left-flank before delivering the ball into the Kitchee goal-mouth. Zlatan Ibrahimovic showed off his great finishing by one-timing the ball into the Kitchee goal.

Ibrahimovic almost netted a first-half hat trick on the 38^th minute when the PSG striker found himself with the ball on top of the Kitchee box, after the home defenders failed to clear away a Lucas Digne cross. Unfortunately for the PSG captain, his shot went just wide off the Kitchee goal.

PSG almost added to the score on the 48^th minute when Jean-Christophe Bahebeck took down a teammate’s pass and broke loose behind the Kitchee defense. The PSG attacker managed to get off a shot but saw his effort brilliantly blocked by Kitchee’s substitute keeper Guo Jianqiao.

Kitchee nearly pulled a goal back on the 52^nd minute but Juan Belancoso’s close-range effort was magnificently turned away by the courageous PSG keeper Salvatore Sirigu.

The visitors found the net again on the 57^th minute when Javier Pastore’s defense-splitting pass found the speedy Jean-Christophe Bahebeck. The latter turned on his jets and buried his shot in the near-post. The visitors were now in front 1:5.

PSG made it 1:6 on the 74^th minute when Zlatan Ibrahimovic found himself on the receiving end of a teammate’s cross and easily headed to the ball into the Kitchee net.

Substitute Presnel Kimpembe nearly found the back of the net for PSG again on the 77^th minute when the attacker showed off his blazing speed but smashed his shot just high above the Kitchee crossbar. It was a great solo effort by the PSG attacker.

Kitchee managed to score late in the game as Alexander Akande showed great awareness and beat PSG keeper Salvatore Sirigu with a lovely finish. The score was now 2:6

Both sides failed to add to the score in the remaining minutes, as Kitchee succumbed to French powerhouse PSG in a convincing 2:6 loss.