Could victory over PSG revitalise Manchester United’s campaign?

History repeated itself as Manchester United outmanoeuvred Paris Saint Germain in the Champions League to secure a 2-1 victory.

On a night where the Harry Maguire was missing for the visitors and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer left Paul Pogba, Donny van de Beek and Mason Greenwood on the bench, many would have feared the worst for the side against last season’s finalists. Coupled with the inclusion of Axel Tuanzebe, the centre-back whose last appearance was in the Carabao Cup last year, the returning Neymar and Mbappe would have been relishing the prospect of matching up against him.

However, the game did not match expectations, with United’s makeshift back-three minimising the effectiveness of the PSG attackers, with Tuanzebe arguably the standout performer on the pitch. The midfield duo of Fred and Scott McTominay sheltered the defence expertly and justified the seemingly dubious preference Solskjaer has had for the two.

Across the pitch, United simply outworked PSG and found the balance between attack and defence more successfully. PSG were continually vulnerable on the counter-attack, with the effervescent Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial repeatedly getting in behind the PSG fullbacks.

Solskjaer would have been impressed with the display of peripheral figures

In the end, credit must go to Solskjaer for the timely substitution of Pogba for McTominay as he provided further attacking impetus as the game became more stretched. It was his pass that led to the drilled finish by Rashford in the 86^th minute to clinch the victory.

The impressive win at Newcastle followed by victory in France would suggest that United were beginning to build into match fitness and rediscover the form that they showed towards the end of last season. With a tricky run of fixtures including home matches against RB Leipzig and Arsenal, Solskjaer would have been impressed with the display of peripheral figures such as Mata and Tuanzebe as he will rely on his squad depth during this busy schedule.

Overall, the next few weeks will further demonstrate the pedigree of United as they look to climb up the table in the Premier League whilst asserting their dominance in Group H.

Overall, Tuesday night was one of deep satisfaction for the Red Devils, but Solskjaer would know all too well the dangers of an impressive Champions League victory over PSG, as following last year’s incredible 3-1 victory, they won only two of their next 12 matches. Any repeat of such a run would leave the side in a perilous position.