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French champions Paris Saint-Germain were left with a feeling of deja-vu as a late goal from Marcus Rashford condemned them to a 2-1 defeat at the Parc des Princes in their 2020-21 UEFA Champions League opener against Manchester United.
Rashford, whose stoppage-time penalty in Paris had sent PSG crashing out of the Champions League Round of 16 in the 2018-19 season, fired in a powerful shot from the edge of the area into the bottom-left corner in the 87th minute to start his side’s Champions League campaign in the best way possible.
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Earlier, Bruno Fernandes’ first-half penalty had been canceled out by an own goal from Anthony Martial as the two sides played out an entertaining end-to-end affair that was replete with action from start to finish.
The first half started with PSG in the ascendancy but Manchester United clawed their way back into it, winning a penalty in the 20th minute after Abdou Diallo fouled Martial in the box.
Fernandes’ resulting spot-kick was saved by PSG keeper Keylor Navas, only for the referee to order a retake as the Costa Rican keeper was adjudged to have come off his line in doing so.
Manchester United’s stand-in captain made full use of the reprieve, slotting his spot-kick into the bottom right corner and giving his side a lead which they retained through to half time.
Thomas Tuchel made an attacking alteration in the interval that saw his PSG side come out on the other side firing on all cylinders, peppering the Manchester United goal with shots that eventually saw them draw level after Martial headed a corner into his own goal 10 minutes into the second half.
Manchester United’s response was to soak up the pressure and make a notable alternation of their own, switching from a back-three to a flat-four midway through the second half as the game became increasingly stretched.
With chances coming at both ends, it was Rashford who finally made one count, restoring Manchester United’s advantage with just three minutes of normal time left to play.
This was a lead the visitors would hold on to, securing three points in their Champions League group stage opener against a side many had touted to be their most formidable opponents.
Let’s take a closer look at how Manchester United’s win came about by examining the player ratings from both sides in a highly entertaining affair in the French capital.
Also check out: Complete Champions League Schedule 2020/21
PSG player ratings against Manchester United
Keylor Navas: 7/10
Keylor Navas was called upon to make a number of important saves to keep PSG in the game, even saving Bruno Fernandes’ initial spot-kick before it was ordered to be retaken as he was found to have come off his line in making the save. It needed a precise and powerful effort from Rashford to finally beat the Costa Rican.
Alessandro Florienzi: 5/10
The Italian right-back looked threatening going forward, linking up well at times with Angel Di Maria, but was sloppy in possession and gave the ball away regularly, allowing Manchester United to attack down his flank on more then a few occasions.
Abdou Diallo: 4/10
This was a disappointing outing for the young Frenchman, who had a few nervy moments before giving away the penalty in the first half. He brought the ball up from the back with confidence but was suspect when it came back the other way despite an improved showing in the second half.
Presnel Kimpembe: 6/10
Handed the captain’s armband for this tie, Presnel Kimpembe essayed the role of senior defender alongside Diallo well, putting in some decisive tackles and always trying to get his side on the front foot.
Layvin Kurzawa: 6/10
Layvin Kurzawa left spaces behind him in his eagerness to attack but was a constant threat down PSG’s left flank and was unfortunate to see a first-half effort from point-blank range saved by David de Gea. He continued his forward forays in the second half before going off late in the game.
Ander Herrera: 5/10
One of two former Manchester United men in the PSG ranks, Ander Herrera was his typical energetic self in midfield, popping up in all sorts of positions to set up attacks and snuff out the opposition’s passing moves, both of which he had moderate success with.
Danilo Pereira: 5/10
PSG’s summer signing Danilo Pereira occupied the central defensive midfield role for the French outfit and put in a solid shift as an effective shield in front of his central defenders until the point he was turned too easily by Rashford for Manchester United’s winner.
Idrissa Gueye: 4/10
Idrissa Gueye was largely ineffective in midfield as he did not get up the field and was regularly bypassed in defence, prompting him to be sacrificed in favour of Moise Kean at half time.
Angel Di Maria: 5/10
Up against his former side, Angel Di Maria regularly looked to cut inside from the right and attack the Manchester United goal but his progress was often hindered by the close attentions of Luke Shaw. He was reduced to taking pot shots from distance, and this affected his delivery from set-pieces, which were well below his usual standards.
Kylian Mbappe: 5/10
PSG’s Kylian Mbappe was extremely well marshalled by the pacy duo of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Axel Tuanzebe, who hardly allowed him any time on the ball. Mbappe’s only chance of note was when he created for himself early in the second half, cutting inside from the left before forcing superb diving save from de Gea.
Neymar: 6/10
PSG’s Brazilian talisman Neymar was full of trickery and inventiveness against Manchester United but grew increasingly frustrated as the minutes ticked by, picking up a first-half booking for remonstrating with the referee over a penalty not being awarded. He went close on a few occasions in the second half but could not exert his influence on proceedings to the extent he would have liked.
Substitutes:
Moise Kean: 6/10
Moise Kean was brought on at half time in place of Gueye. The Everton loanee added a spark to the PSG side as he showed great enterprise in going forward but lacked the final product.
Rafinha: 5/10
Another one of PSG’s summer signings, the former Barcelona man replaced Ander Herrera in midfield as Thomas Tuchel looked to freshen up his tiring midfield but hardly got a touch of the ball.
Colin Dagba: 5/10
The young defender came on in place of Florenzi at right-back as PSG looked to combat Manchester United’s repeated attacks with some fresh legs. Dagba made a few important blocks but was not given a moment’s peace as Manchester United flooded forward via the flanks.
Pablo Sarabia: N.A.
Pablo Sarabia replaced Di Maria for the final five minutes as PSG looked to liven their side up towards the end of the game.
Mitchel Bakker: N.A.
The young defender replaced Kurzawa in the last few minutes to add some much-needed freshness to PSG’s tiring backline but could not prevent Manchester United's winner from going in.
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Manchester United player ratings against PSG
David de Gea: 8/10
Called upon to make a number of saves, David de Gea answered the call with great aplomb throughout, displaying exemplary calmness and composure in his handling. His excellent distribution to set Manchester United off attack after attack was another highlight of a display that would go some way to answering critics who have questioned his place in the team lately.
Axel Tuanzebe: 7/10
Returning to the Manchester United side after a lengthy injury layoff only to be facing Neymar, Mbappe, and co., Axel Tuanzebe rose to the occasion admirably and put in a solid shift as part of Manchester United’s back three. His pace and physicality held him in good stead against Mbappe, who he marked effectively the whole evening.
Victor Lindelof: 7/10
Taking charge of the new-look defence in the absence of Harry Maguire, Lindelof showcased excellent defensive positioning to quell a number of PSG attacks and was in the right place at the right time on a number of occasions throughout the game.
Luke Shaw: 7/10
Deployed at left centre-back, Luke Shaw had to utilise all his experience and pace to nullify the threat of Di Maria. The Englishman also showed a desire to go forward, linking up well with Alex Telles down Manchester United’s left wing before transitioning back to his usual left-back role as the Red Devils reverted to a back-four midway through the second half.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka: 7/10
Fresh from scoring his first senior goal in his last outing, it was Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s defensive abilities that were on display here as he made a number of excellent challenges to keep PSG’s formidable frontline at bay.
Alex Telles: 7/10
The Manchester United debutant put in an extremely encouraging display at left wing-back, getting forward well and showcasing his excellent crossing ability throughout.
Fred: 7/10
This was a typically busy display from Manchester United’s Brazilian midfielder, who got around the pitch well to disrupt PSG’s attacking play with some vital interceptions while also getting involved in a lot of his side's attacks with some tidy passing.
Scott McTominay: 6/10
Given the task of man-marking Neymar from the off, the Scotsman stuck to his task and became increasingly comfortable in his role after a nervy start. He earned a booking in the first half for fouling the Brazilian but grew in stature as the game wore on.
Bruno Fernandes: 8/10
Manchester United’s stand-in captain Bruno Fernandes missed a second penalty in two games and was lucky to get a chance to re-take his spot-kick, which he confidently converted to give his side the lead.
All of Manchester United’s attacking play seemed to flow through their Portuguese playmaker, who displayed his entire range of passing and creativity in a performance befitting the armband.
Anthony Martial: 6/10
In the middle of serving a three-match domestic ban, the Frenchman returned to the starting line-up for this European fixture. He showcased excellent centre-forward play throughout the game, earning his side a penalty in the first half. An unfortunate own goal in the second half was the only blemish on a great individual performance.
Marcus Rashford: 7/10
Marcus Rashford got increasingly involved in Manchester United’s attacking play after a slow start but was guilty of missing a few extremely presentable chances before popping up with the winner by taking one of the more difficult opportunities that came his way.
Substitutes:
Paul Pogba: 6/10
The Frenchman’s arrival in place of Telles, with about 20 minutes left, prompted a change in formation for Manchester United as they switched to a back four.
Paul Pogba slotted into the Manchester United midfield seamlessly and featured in a number of promising moves as his side gained the ascendancy in the second half, even claiming the assist for Rashford's winner.
Donny van de Beek: N.A.
Donny van de Beek was brought on late in the game to replace Bruno Fernandes just after Manchester United took the lead and helped his side see out the remaining few minutes to seal the win.
Daniel James: N.A.
Daniel James came on at the same time as Van de Beek in place of Martial as Manchester United looked to secure the three points after taking the lead late on.
