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Earning their stripes: Marcus Rashford stuns PSG as Manchester United grab dramatic late winner in Paris

Marcus Rashford celebrates scoring the winner - AFP
Marcus Rashford celebrates scoring the winner - AFP

Once again it was Marcus Rashford, Paris and a famous victory for Manchester United.

As with 19 months ago, it was the England striker who scored the crucial goal to defeat Paris Saint-Germain. Back then it proved to be United’s best-ever display under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, earning him the manager’s job on a full-time basis, and this was undoubtedly their finest performance since.

It may have only been an opening Champions League group game, rather than a last-16 tie with a two-goal deficit to overcome, but it was another famous European night for United as they beat last season’s finalists. In doing so they inflicted PSG’s first home defeat in the group stages in 24 matches stretching back to 2004.

As with two seasons ago it rained heavily in the French capital, and although the atmosphere - in front of an empty stadium rather than a raucous band of soaked away supporters - was very different, United and Solskjaer will saviour it nonetheless, not least because the manager got his tactics, including not starting Paul Pogba, spot on.

“Last time it was a knock-out and it was euphoric, this is sterile without the fans but it’s excellent and we deserved to win,” Solskjaer said, before claiming it was actually a “better performance” than last time. It was also undeniably important for him given United’s stuttering start to the season, the pressure he is under and the importance of being back in the Champions League.

There were some crucial saves from David De Gea and an excellent performance from Axel Tuanzebe on his Champions League debut; incredibly, the injury-hit centre-half’s first appearance since facing Colchester United in the EFL Cup last December. This time he was up against Kylian Mbappe and the 22 year-old matched him stride for stride.

James Ducker's Man Utd briefing
James Ducker's Man Utd briefing

If Tuanzebe can stay fit then United have a solution in defence – and dare it be said they were actually better without the injured Harry Maguire - while Alex Telles was impressive on his debut at left wing-back and Aaron Wan-Bissaka simply outstanding on the other flank at what he does best: winning those one-on-one duels even when facing Mbappe and Neymar. Solskjaer got it right, especially in formation with three centre-halves and those wing-backs allowing Bruno Fernandes to join the two forwards.

One of those was Rashford. His previous goal at the Parc de Princes had been from the penalty spot, in the 94th minute to gain that astonishing 3-1 win, and he again struck late with just three minutes to go with a wonderful low shot to claim victory this time round.

It was from Pogba’s pass that Rashford accelerated quickly away from Danilo to create the space and drive the ball from just inside the area across goalkeeper Keylor Navas and in off the post. Replays show that Neymar - who had one of those nights - was actually walking away from the action as Rashford pounced.

As for those who have criticised Rashford for his laudable off-field campaigning and whether it has become a distraction, Solskjaer had the perfect answer: “When you’re happy on the pitch and you’re happy with what you’re doing off it they marry well together. I think it gives him energy what he does, I don’t think that’s a problem.”

Until they came alive in the second-half, PSG were poor and certainly appeared to miss their former captain Thiago Silva, who they allowed to leave on a free transfer to Chelsea. The fact Marquinhos was not fit to start made them even more vulnerable. It was his replacement, Abdou Diallo, who conceded the first-half penalty from which United claimed the lead as he rashly brought down Anthony Martial.

Fernandes, captain in Maguire’s absence, took the responsibility twice. Navas saved his first effort, before being pulled up for over-stepping his goal line and the midfielder calmly rolled in the re-take after the goalkeeper dived the other way. Fernandes certainly showed character having missed from the spot against Newcastle United at the weekend.

Bruno Fernandes scores with a retaken penalty - SHUTTERSTOCK
Bruno Fernandes scores with a retaken penalty - SHUTTERSTOCK

Before that De Gea had already made a couple of sharp saves to deny Angel Di Maria and Layvin Kurzawa and he excelled in parrying a curling shot from Mbappe after the forward finally beat Wan-Bissaka and Scott McTominay inside the United area.

Finally PSG found some momentum with Neymar scooping the ball to Kurzawa whose cross clipped the top of the bar before Wan-Bissaka intervened to stop Mbappe. From Neymar’s corner, PSG drew level in freakish circumstances as Martial - under no pressure - rose to glance a header past De Gea and into his own net.

Would there be an onslaught? Wan-Bissaka brilliantly blocked from Mbappe as the contest opened up and United also threatened. Already Rashford had broken clear only to try to pick out Martial when he could have gone for goal.

First Navas denied Rashford, reacting quickly to reach his low shot, before De Gea beat out a similarly-dangerous effort from Neymar who finally threatened.

What will have pleased United fans is that Solskjaer did not settle for the draw and his approach earned its reward through Rashford. It felt especially important as Group H – with RB Leipzig beating Istanbul Basaksehir – might be the tightest of all.


08:54 PM

Full time: PSG 1 Manchester United 2

Rashford's winner was well deserved. United had a plan, they stuck to it, they kept Neymar, Mbappe and Di Maria quiet, and the rest of the PSG side looked really pretty ordinary.

Football really does turn around so quickly, doesn't? Only two matches ago OGS was being humiliated by Spurs, since then they have thumped Newcastle and won away in Paris. They got the tactics spot on, they showed great energy and they really deserved it. Let's get to Jason's match report. From me, goodnight.


08:53 PM

90+mins: PSG 1 Man United 2

PSG, as you would expect, the side finishing with the urgency but Tuanzebe, especially, looks rock solid.


08:50 PM

89 mins: PSG 1 Man United 2

Neymar tries a hit from distance but it is always going wide. United justly ahead and I think they very much deserve to hang on. PSG look like a slapdash mess, all fur coat and no knickers, far too many people on massive money strolling around nowhere near the play while the defence look simply not good enough.


08:48 PM

GOAL! PSG 1 Man United 2 (Rashford 87)

That's fantastic, well done Man United. Rash picks it up, turns, hits a good hard low shot. You could also ask, where is the PSG marking? They just backed off and let him have his way with it.


08:44 PM

83 mins: PSG 1 Man United 1

PSG corner. United break, Danilo has no choice but to rugby tackle Fred.


08:43 PM

81 mins: PSG 1 Man United 1

Neymar drives forward with purpose in between the lines, drives forward and a powerful shot beaten away.


08:41 PM

80 mins: PSG 1 Man United 1

Corner for Paris, Neymar takes but it is cleared.

This is definitely the PSG of cliche. The attacking trio don't really make any effort to track back, happy to let the water carriers do what they can. One team of three, one team of eight.


08:38 PM

78 mins: PSG 1 Man United 1

Another nice bit of football as the splendid Mr Marcus Rashford cuts inside and tees up Bruno... but his shot is nicht gut.


08:37 PM

77 mins: PSG 1 Man United 1

Martial with some neat play as he slips it to Pogba, who give it him back around the corner. Lovely quick move that ends with Martial on the deck in the penalty area, but the ref adjudges that he'd fouled Dialo on the way through.


08:35 PM

76 mins: PSG 1 Man United 1

Kean allowed a free header in the area but cannot direct it.


08:34 PM

75 mins: PSG 1 Man United 1

A foot race between Tuanzebe and Mbappe and the United man holds his own, denying the French speedster with a good tackle.


08:33 PM

73 mins: PSG 1 Man United 1

Tuanzebe goes up for a brusque header and comes down with a booking.


08:32 PM

72 mins: PSG 1 Man United 1

Navas again looks lively to cut out Bruno's silky first time ball with Rashford breathing down his, well, down his front.


08:30 PM

70 mins: PSG 1 Man United 1

United are the ones putting the pressure on in the last couple minutes. PSG really are there for the taking.

Martial frees Rashford and he hits the target with a solid effort, the man Navas does a fine job there. Two excellent goalkeeping performances tonight, by the way.


08:28 PM

68 mins: PSG 1 Man United 1

Poggers is in the game right away, nice skill and strength, plays it inside to Bruno who lets er rip but hoofs the ball somewhere near Lille. 


08:27 PM

67 mins: PSG 1 Man United 1

Alex Telles off, Paul Pogba on.


08:26 PM

66 mins: PSG 1 Man United 1

Vital intervention from Luke Shaw as he gets a foot in, that was PSG's first moment of real class, all the big names involved and it was slid across from Kurzawa with Mbappe about to apply the finish.


08:24 PM

64 mins: PSG 1 Man United 1

Lindelof with a challenge, De Gea again lively to come out.

It's PSG who are in the ascendant at the moment.


08:19 PM

59 mins: PSG 1 Man United 1

Corner for United, McTominay rises unchallenged and his header is blocked more by luck than judgment. Martial has a chance a second later, he heads just over.

Given the resources available to both clubs the standard is poor. PSG look so nervy in defence, so lacking in authority or communication. Missing a couple of big players, sure, but even still.


08:18 PM

58 mins: PSG 1 Man United 1

Rashford pinches the ball and gallops forward. A heavy touch allows Danilo to get back and make a covering tackle.


08:18 PM

56 mins: PSG 1 Man United 1

Wan-Bissaka with a super piece of defensive work as he spots Martial, tracks him, and then puts in a superb tackle. Brilliant from the United right back on his Champions League debut.


08:16 PM

GOAL! PSG 1 Man United 1 (Martial OG 55)

Oh that's a howler ! Horrible from Martial! A regulation corner from Neymar, Martial is not under pressure at the front post but he jumps up, eyes closed and glances a header home. Absolute shocker for the boy.


08:15 PM

54 mins: PSG 0 Man United 1

Real danger here for United. Neyamr great ball, and Kurzawa flips the ball in from the narrow angle. It hits the crossbar. Wan-Bisaka has to make a great tackle. Corner.


08:12 PM

51 mins: PSG 0 Man United 1

PSG make a meal of clearing a corner. Lindelof is the man who eventually gets the shot in but there is no power on it.


08:10 PM

49 mins: PSG 0 Man United 1

Ander Herera fancies a shot from range against his former mates but it curves wide. 


08:09 PM

48 mins: PSG 0 Man United 1

Oh there's Mbappe with a brilliant double stepover and a ferocious strike at goal.. Brilliant save De Gea! Oh he is right on his game and when he plays like this there is no better keeper in the game.


08:08 PM

47 mins: PSG 0 Man United 1

PSG opened up so, so easily by Bruno Fernandes. Rashford and Martial have a two on one situation, but Marcus rarely for him makes the wrong decision.


08:05 PM

46 mins: PSG 0 Man United 1

Kean is on as a sub for PSG. "Well, PSG can't play any worse than they did in the first half," says Steve McManaman.

24 group stage games unbeaten here, the hosts.


08:05 PM

Second half coming up

Can United keep it up? They've fought hard, closed down the space, kept their shape. 

Here's Neymar coming out for the second half, he is in the ear of the ref, making his case about something or other.


08:03 PM

Fernandes needed two bites at the cherry

Navas saved the first one but was off his line. That'll teach him. Or it probably won't.

Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes scores from a retaken pen - the first was saved - Shutterstock

07:52 PM

Half time: PSG 0 Man United 1

Not on paper exactly a Man United team for the ages - Shaw, McTominay, Lindyhop, Fred - but the plan is working pretty well so far, and fair play to Ole. Three centre backs, two battlers in midfield, the pace of Rashford and Martial to cause the odd problem and Bruno Fernandes to add a bit of class. Telles has been decent, as well. 

You do feel that the PSG galacticos will have their say sooner or later but at half time, United have found a method and stuck to it, and the retaken pen from Bruno is the difference between the sides at the interval.


07:49 PM

45+ mins: PSG 0 Man United 1

Not the link up Paris paid one hundred billion dollars for. Mbappe measures out a lovely curling shot at goal, it looks bound for the corner but it is blocked by.... Neymar! I mean I know he needs to be the main man but that is a bit much from Neymar. I jest. Purely an accident and bad luck that his run took him in front of the shot from his colleague.


07:46 PM

45 mins: PSG 0 Man United 1

A ball into the box, Mbappe tries to get on it and De Gea nicks in and hacks it clear. De Gea is on his beans tonight, he's really alert and looks highly impressive. A delay after an accidental clash of heads, Rashford and Diallo.

Kurzawa crosses again, De Gea eager to get there again and he makes no mistake.


07:44 PM

43 mins: PSG 0 Man United 1

Rashford gets it, spins away from Diallo and sets off. Glorious first touch but an equally impressive bit of play from Diallo who puts the burners on to catch him, and produce a great tackle. 


07:41 PM

39 mins: PSG 0 Man United 1

McTominay's effort was deflected behind, they get another corner but this time McTominay heads it over and the danger passes for the hosts.


07:40 PM

38 mins: PSG 0 Man United 1

Telles picks out Bruno Fernandes, he drops his shoulder and curls it at the goal, that is a decent save from Navas.

Corner. And from it, McTominay goes close! Telles delivered a good dead ball in there.


07:38 PM

36 mins: PSG 0 Man United 1

McTominay is going in the book, Neymar ran at him and Neymar went down. Tough for Scott now, on a yellow for 55 minutes against the lethal, quicksilver and let's face it totally divey Brazil man.


07:36 PM

35 mins: PSG 0 Man United 1

PSG starting to ask questions. Mbappe puts on the burners and gets into the area, Tuanzebe has given him the slightest of nudges. Ref does not give a pen. Neymar chases after the ref and yells at him. The referee books Neymar.


07:34 PM

32 mins: PSG 0 Man United 1

United are working their off-side trap well. Neymar the next to be caught off.


07:33 PM

30 mins: PSG 0 Man United 1

Ooh here's trouble, Di Maria hares onto a long ball and this could be dangero-- oh that's offside.


07:31 PM

28 mins: PSG 0 Man United 1

Paris hardly ever concede here in this comp. According to the Uefa site, "that was the first goal Paris have conceded at home in the UEFA Champions League since United last scored here in the round of 16 in 2018/19."


07:28 PM

26 mins: PSG 0 Man United 1

PSG's magnificently talented attacking three not causing a massive amount of trouble so far. Leo Messi has put Barca up against Ferencvaros, that legendary Hungarian outfit merely the latest to be on the wrong end of Mr Messi.


07:26 PM

25 mins: PSG 0 Man United 1

United have a corner, it's the new boy Telles to take it. It is cleared.


07:25 PM

GOAL! PSG 0 Manchester United 1 (Fernandes 23 pen)

He's done it with a retaken penalty. A skip, slots it to the keeper's left and fair play to Bruno Fernandes, showed good composure there because he must have been freaking out having missed the first one.


07:22 PM

Penalty to Man United

Diallo brings down Martial. He dangled out his foot and Tony Martial needed no further encouragement.

Here comes Bruno Fernandes... he missed his last one... AND HE HAS MISSED THIS ONE AS WELL! SAVED BY NAVAS!

Bruno Fernandes with his signature leap as he ran up.  But he has got lucky - Navas was off the line

He is going to get another go... Navas will be furious with himself. Another go for Fernandes.


07:21 PM

19 mins: PSG 0 Man United 0

Everyone's second least favourite German team, RB Leipzig have scored in this group's other game.

Here come United though! Good move this, McTominay prominent, Shaw plays, Martial is into the box and Diallo has brought him down. Penalty? Yes! Penalty!


07:18 PM

16 mins: PSG 0 Man United 0

A delay as Di Maria gets a bit of treatment after a whack from Fred.

That was a really good save from De Gea.


07:16 PM

14 mins: PSG 0 Man United 0

It's not much of a night in Paris, chucking it down. Neymar stands over a freekick, wipes the rain and sweat from his face. He drills it into the wall.


07:14 PM

12 mins: PSG 0 Man United 0

Couple of corners. Mbappe now! Oh that was close, Kurzawa should have scored from the follow up, but De Gea did well to spread himself. Should have been one nil.


07:13 PM

11 mins: PSG 0 Man United 0

McTominay the man who gets to mark Neymar, a player I feel you'd never get tired of kicking.  If you could catch him that is.

Here's his mate Di Maria though, a decent effort and tipped around.


07:10 PM

9 mins: PSG 0 Man United 0

Kurzawa prominent, he's made a bright start and here's Neymar looking dangerous. 


07:10 PM

5 mins: PSG 0 Man United 0

Here's Wan B on the ball, he scored his first goal for the club at the weekend. And a ball forward... Fernandes delivers an excellent ball in, Rashford telepathic with the run and it hits Diallo. Close! 


07:04 PM

2 mins: PSG 0 Man United 0

United busy and up for it, I imagine quite a few of their Manchester based fans would like to see a passionate and angry display tonight from their boys, and they are pressing PSG with real purpose.


07:03 PM

1 mins: PSG 0 Man United 0

United are the first to attack but here is Martial being flagged offside.


07:00 PM

Right then

Let's get to it. Manchester in Paris.


06:05 PM

The team news is in for Man United

And Pogba has been left on the bench.


06:04 PM

Team news

PSG: Navas, Florenzi, Diallo, Kimpembe, Kurzawa, Ander Herrera, Danilo Pereira, Gueye, Di Maria, Mbappe-Lottin, Neymar. Subs: Rafinha, Marquinhos, Sergio Rico, Kean, Sarabia, Draxler, Bakker, Letellier, Dagba, Pembele, Fadiga, Ruiz-Atil.

Man United: de Gea, Wan Bissaka, Tuanzebe, Lindelof, Shaw, Alex Telles, Fred, McTominay, Bruno Fernandes, Rashford, Martial. Subs: Pogba, Mata, James, Fosu-Mensah, Ighalo, Henderson, Pellistri, Matic, Williams, van de Beek.

Referee: Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz (Spain)


04:22 PM

Good evening and welcome to our live blog

In which Manchester United travel to Paris for a group stage encounter.

All eyes will be on Edinson Cavani, who was recently a PSG player. He and Man United will have to face the French monolith without the services of Harry Maguire, who is injured. We will have more fulsome team news for you as soon as possible on this page.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that financiers are putting together a package worth £4.6billion to assist the creation of a new European Super League, and that Liverpool and Manchester United are two of the clubs involved.

Manchester United and Liverpool 'in talks' about new European Premier League

Why not sign up for our free MUFC newsletter? 

And is it the end of the line for comedy's Phil Jones? The rubber-faced defensive dingbat has been left out of the United PL squad, as has Sergio Romero. His wife will be spitting feathers.

Manchester United have omitted Phil Jones and Sergio Romero from their 25-man Premier League squad.Defender Jones and goalkeeper Romero were both also left out of United's Champions League squad earlier this month after falling out of favour under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.Their omissions cast doubt over their long-term future at Old Trafford.Marcos Rojo, who is back at United following his loan spell with Estudiantes, is included in the squad along with new deadline-day signings Alex Telles and Edinson Cavani.