Paris Saint-Germain continued its stellar run at the International Champions Cup with a 4-0 win over Premier League champions Leicester City on Saturday night from Carson, California. 

It capped off a three-game stretch that also saw a pair of 3-1 wins over Real Madrid and Inter Milan.

Regardless of the result, it’s been quite a turnaround for Leicester, who just last year were playing preseason friendlies against lower-league English sides Lincoln City, Mansfield Town, Burton Albion, Rotherham United and Birmingham City.

But after pulling off one of the most improbable runs to a title in sporting history, they had a chance to line up against the French champions on Saturday.

PSG got on the board first after Jonathan Ikone was taken down by Daniel Amartey at the right edge of the box for a penalty. Edinson Cavani stepped up in the 26th minute and cannoned a low shot to the right of Kasper Schmeichel’s goal as the keeper guessed the wrong way.

For a player that scored 25 goals in all competitions for PSG, Cavani scoring early in the preseason is a good sign of things to come. 

Riyad Mahrez was inches away from drawing Leicester back in it in the 33rd minute, but his strong free kick from just outside the box was pushed over the bar by Alphonse Areola. The ensuing corner saw a poor clearance deflect off of the head of Amartey, but the carom went just wide of PSG’s open goal.

Ikone went from creator to scorer when he put the ball in the net himself in the 45th minute. On the break, it was sent out wide to Thomas Meunier whose cross was deflected and fell to the 18-year-old’s foot. With his first touch while falling, he sent it into the bottom left corner of the goal to double PSG’s lead. 

Leicester came out strong in the second half and had another golden chance to pull one back, but substitute Ahmed Musa whiffed on a volley sent in by Leonardo Ulloa in the 48th minute with nothing but an open goal in front of him.

Instead, an unmarked Lucas Moura made it 3-0 when he headed in a cross from Maxwell in the 64th minute. 

One minute from time, another 18-year-old provided PSG with a fourth as Odsonne Edouard was sent in behind the Leicester defense and easily finished past Schmeichel.

PSG’s dominant spell at the International Champions Cup saw them outscore their opponents 10-2. Other than the injury to Thiago Silva, this trip to the United States was an overwhelming success as they continue to prepare for a Ligue 1 title defense. 

For Leicester, it their opponents don’t get much easier while they’re stateside. On Wednesday, they’ll meet a Barcelona who defeated Celtic earlier on Saturday in Ireland 3-1. 

 

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