Paris Saint-Germain vs West Bromwich Albion. Friendly Match.
Parc des Princes.
Wednesday 13 July 2016 22:47, UK
West Brom got their pre-season campaign off to a losing start as Paris Saint-Germain came from behind to seal a 2-1 victory in Austria.
David Luiz's 15th-minute own goal, turning Saido Berahino's low cross into his own net, had given the Baggies the half-time lead.
But second-half goals from substitutes Adrien Rabiot (62) and Lucas Moura (79) prevented an unlikely Albion win as the Ligue 1 champions claimed victory for new boss Unai Emery in his first game in charge.
Regardless of the result, it proved to be a good outing for Tony Pulis' side as 20 first-team players got some valuable game-time in the club's first pre-season outing.
Albion fielded a strong side for their fixture in a rain-soaked Schladming, with Darren Fletcher, Salomon Rondon and Berahino handed starts.
Former Chelsea defender Luiz, ex-Spurs midfielder Benjamin Stambouli and former Newcastle winger Hatem Ben Arfa were the only household names as Emery named an unfamiliar starting line-up.
It took just a quarter of an hour for the deadlock to be broken as Berahino's purposeful run into the opposition area ended with Brazil international Luiz driving the striker's cross beyond Kevin Trapp.
It could have been two on 23 minutes, but Luiz atoned for his own goal when he expertly blocked Jonathan Leko's effort, following a neat one-two with Berahino.
Leko was then forced from the field with a suspected injury shortly before the interval, with Tyler Roberts replacing the 17-year-old.
The changes kept on coming as Pulis made eight further alterations at the break, while Emery brought on Serge Aurier, Rabiot and Moura.
And the former Sevilla head coach's intervention paid off, as Rabiot picked up the ball on the edge of the area and rifled the ball high into the roof of Boaz Myhill's goal.
The turnaround was complete 11 minutes before time as Lucas, in the week he affirmed his intent to remain at the Parc des Princes, calmly slotted the ball home after Stambouli's effort had struck the post.
The Baggies now turn their attention to pre-season friendlies with Vitesse and PSV before kicking off their Premier League campaign away to Crystal Palace on August 13.
