Doha: Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona played out a 3-3 draw on Wednesday in their opening Group B match at the 11th Aspire International Under-17 Cup, staged at Mansour Muftah Stadium.
Johan Abdoun put Paris Saint-Germain ahead in the third minute before Barcelona levelled through Artem Rybak in the 26th. Ioane Poulter restored PSG’s lead shortly after the hour mark and Maoula Niakate made it 3-1 in the 69th minute, but Barcelona rallied late as Alex Ventaja struck in the 79th minute and Ruslan Hernando equalised deep into stoppage time.
Both sides took a point from the opening round.
PSG coach Vincent Heumann described the contest as “fantastic”, saying Barcelona controlled the early stages before his side asserted themselves in the second half. He added that the high tempo of the tournament provided valuable experience for young players, exposing them to different styles and helping to develop both technical ability and character.
Barcelona coach David Sanchez said his team dominated the first half but failed to convert their chances, scoring only once before conceding twice after the break. He praised his players for their late comeback and commended the tournament’s organisation, facilities and hospitality.
In the same group, Japan’s Kashiwa Reysol beat Vietnam’s PVF Academy 2-1. Yuto Kokchi opened the scoring in the ninth minute and Riko Inada doubled the lead seven minutes later, before Tai Nam pulled one back for the Vietnamese side in the 57th minute.
The win lifted Kashiwa Reysol to the top of Group B with three points, while PVF Academy remained bottom without a point.
Kashiwa Reysol coach Noke Sakai said the match underlined the tournament’s competitiveness, noting that the presence of clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona made the group particularly challenging. PVF Academy coach Nguyen Thanh acknowledged the strength of the opposition and said the event was important for giving his players international exposure.
Thursday’s schedule features Aspire Academy against Rangers of Scotland, followed by a match between Tunisia’s Étoile Sportive du Sahel and Morocco’s Mohammed VI Football Academy.
