English Premier League
Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal beaten by Spanish opposition in pre-season
Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal, the two teams who contested the most recent UEFA Champions League final, both suffered defeats against Spanish opponents on Wednesday as preparations for the new season continued.
Arsenal were beaten 3-1 by Real Betis at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, while Paris Saint-Germain endured a heavier 3-0 loss against Real Mallorca at Son Moix in Spain.
The results provided a striking double success for Spanish clubs, with both Betis and Mallorca scoring three times against the English and French champions respectively.
Arsenal’s defeat came in a friendly arranged as part of the build-up to the new campaign. Real Betis made the stronger start and took the lead after nine minutes through Rodrigo Riquelme.
Nelson Deossa then doubled the Spanish side’s advantage in the 26th minute, leaving Arsenal facing a two-goal deficit before the interval.
Arsenal responded six minutes later when Piero Hincapie scored to reduce the arrears. However, Real Betis restored their two-goal cushion before half-time, with Pablo Fornals finding the net in the 43rd minute.
Despite Arsenal’s attempt to recover after the break, Real Betis held on to claim a 3-1 victory at the Dublin venue.
Paris Saint-Germain, meanwhile, were unable to find a way past Real Mallorca in the other friendly played on Wednesday.
The Spanish side took control when Zito Luvumbo opened the scoring in the 21st minute. Jan Virgili added a second nine minutes before half-time, giving Mallorca a 2-0 lead at the interval.
Real Mallorca completed the scoring six minutes after the restart, with Antonio Jose making it 3-0 in the 51st minute.
The two defeats came as both clubs continued their preparations for the start of the new season. They also offered a sharp contrast to the outcome of the previous UEFA Champions League final, when Paris Saint-Germain overcame Arsenal.
Paris Saint-Germain secured the European title after a 4-3 victory on penalties. The shoot-out was required following a 1-1 draw after both normal time and extra time.
The triumph was Paris Saint-Germain’s second UEFA Champions League title. Arsenal, who had reached the final, were ultimately beaten after the match remained level through the additional 30 minutes.
Both sides will now use the remainder of their pre-season schedules to prepare for competitive action, after Wednesday’s defeats against Spanish opposition.
