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The post-match verdict

Would it be hyperbolic to give Manchester United top marks tonight? I don't think so. They completely outclassed PSG tonight, tactically, physically and mentally. If PSG were their biggest rivals to win the group, this was a super start for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side.

And, of course, United were missing a few key players tonight: Edinson Cavani, Mason Greenwood and Harry Maguire were all absent, but United played extremely well to hold on for an impressive win in Paris.

PSG were perhaps surprised out of the gate by United, but Neymar, Mbappe and Di Maria could never get going - the United defence kept PSG at bay all evening and really restricted the movement of the fearsome front-three.

If we're talking accolades or awards, then Man of the Match must go to Axel Tuanzebe. He looked confident and assured at centre-back, kept Kylian Mbappe quiet all night and looked a phenomenal talent in his first match in over ten months.

He could well start against Chelsea on Saturday after tonight's showing - and who could blame Solskjaer if he were to make that decision?

Anyway, for now, we're signing off. You've been following tonight's game with myself, Ryan Batty on VAVEL UK. Post-match reaction and build-up for Saturday's match with Chelsea will all be available on VAVEL.

Time for brew and bed, I think!

FT: PSG 1-2 Manchester United

Marcus Rashford MBE - is it too early to call for the statue?

All joking aside, it's been a phenomenal game of football this evening as Manchester United grab a late victory against last season's Champions League finalists - in their own backyard, no less.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, for all of his criticisms, was perfect in his game-plan and his side hold on for three points in their Champions League opener.

90' Three minutes of added time

Our referee has awarded three minutes of added time.

It's squeaky-bum time here...

90'

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer makes a late double-switch, as Daniel James and Donny van de Beek get a quick run-out as Bruno Fernandes and Anthony Martial make way.

87' GOAL! United re-take the lead!

Marcus Rashford! That may clinch it! The striker picks up the ball on the edge of the box, pulls off a neat turn and drives it into Navas' far corner - it's no less than United deserve!

Excellent stuff from United - I said we were in for a grandstand finish!

85' Final double-change for PSG

Angel di Maria and Leyvin Kurzawa are off and Pablo Sarabia and Mitchel Bakker replace the pair as the hosts make their final substitutions.

United have a good chance from a corner as Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay come close.

83' End-to-end football as the two sides are evenly-poised

It's been end-to-end stuff here in Paris, as both sides have had successive chances. United fell asleep at the back a moment ago only to awaken at the last moment to get the ball away, and Anthony Martial was tackled on the break just after.

We could be in for a grandstand finish here at the Parc des Princes...

80' CLOSE! United come agonisingly close to taking the lead again.

Marcus Rashford plays in Bruno Fernandes ever so well; the attacking midfielder looks to square it across to Anthony Martial but the PSG defender gets his heel to it and it's cleared away.

United may well regret not taking that chance as PSG put the pressure on at the other end.

77' Martial comes close but is penalised for a foul

Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba link up really well inside the box, but an outstretched right leg collides with Diallo for United as a free-kick is awarded for PSG.

Bruno Fernandes sweeps the ball wide of the far post soon after, as PSG make a double change.

Rafinha is on for Ander Herrera, while Colin Dagba replaces Alessandro Florenzi.

70' Rashford comes close!

Manchester United come close from Marcus Rashford, whose low, driven shot is tickled round the post by Keylor Navas for a corner.

United are looking quite strong at present!

67' Paul Pogba is on... for Alex Telles?

Paul Pogba is indeed making his way onto the pitch in place of Alex Telles, who has enjoyed a superb debut for United.

This could change United's shape to a flat back-four, but that may well strain the defence that Telles has helped massively tonight.

64' PSG starting to knock on the door

Either PSG look rejuvenated after the equaliser or Manchester United's play has become extremely scrappy in the last five minutes. The hosts continue to challenge the backline as Kean and Neymar come close.

Paul Pogba is waiting in the wings as the visitors prepare for a substitution.

59' United come close to re-taking the lead

PSG's equaliser is so unfortunate for Manchester United, who have played ever so well tonight.

Axel Tuanzebe has just come extremely close from an Alex Telles corner, but his header was narrowly over the crossbar.

53' GOAL! PSG equalise as United put it in their own net

A corner into the box from PSG sees Anthony Martial take a blink and head it over the top of David de Gea for the hosts to equalise.

United had done a really good job of defending, but one mistake was all it took for the hosts to be back on level footing.

47' Both sides come close early in the second half!

Bruno Fernandes plays in Marcus Rashford, who takes a touch or two before playing an over-hit ball to Anthony Martial in a two-on-one situation. It could easily have been two.

PSG quickly advance to the other end, and Kylian Mbappe is very close to equalising, but De Gea stops the forward with a super save.

46' Back underway!

After the interval, the two sides are back out and ready for the second half to get underway.

A big forty-five minutes looms for both sides; Moise Kean is on for the hosts to replace Idrissa Gueye. 

PSG kick us off and we are back underway from Paris!

HT: PSG 0-1 Manchester United

With Manchester United on the attack, the referee blows for the half-time whistle.

A great first forty-five for United as Bruno Fernandes gave the visitors the lead from the penalty spot after twenty minutes (albeit from a retake), with the hosts PSG really struggling to put anything together.

The visitors have looked confident and assured at the back and structured in attack - any chances PSG have had have either been called back for offside or dealt with by United's back three.

45' Two minutes of added time

There'll be two minutes of extras as Manchester United look to hold on until the break; they've looked by far the better side this evening as PSG have really struggled to get going.

40' CLOSE! United come close from a corner

Alex Telles with another lovely corner that Scott McTominay almost heads home, but Diallo was in the way to send the effort away for another set-piece.

The subsequent effort wasn't quite as close, with a scuffle in the box giving the hosts a free-kick. 

38' Promising counter-attack from United after PSG free-kick is saved

A free-kick from the hosts is straight at David de Gea, whose long boot upfield reaches Anthony Martial.

The Frenchman puts in some tricky footwork but the eventual result is high and wide.

Bruno Fernandes gets a chance a moment later, his effort was quick and low and Keylor Navas just gets his hand to it to force a corner.

35' First yellow card as Neymar is booked

Axel Tuanzebe puts in a lovely tackle on Kylian Mbappe to bring the ball back to the visitors, but Neymar is booked in the aftermath - for what appears to be dissent.

31' Di Maria in on goal, but the offside flag is raised

Angel di Maria is played in with a sweetly-struck ball over the high backline; he looks to take the ball round David de Gea but the goalkeeper gets to the ball before the Argentinian - before the offside flag is raised.

Neymar is called back for an offside a moment later - but if he had scored then it would have counted as replays showed he was actually behind Luke Shaw before the ball was played.

The hosts are knocking on the door ever so slightly...

A look at Navas' move off the line that forced Fernandes' retake...

And if we look at the distance that Keylor Navas stepped off his line for Bruno Fernandes' missed attempt, it might be slight but it ensures a retaken spot-kick for the visitors.

 

27' Manchester United have another close chance!

Alex Telles is playing some really good football from left-wing-back, as the new arrival has sent some lovely crosses into the box, from open play and from a corner.

United have started excellently after nearly half an hour, with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe being kept quiet so far.

22' GOAL! Manchester United take the lead

Well, Bruno Fernandes goes the same way as his first effort, retains his hop-skip-jump technique and slots home in the bottom-right corner, with Navas diving the opposite way.

United are in front!

21' SAVED! Fernandes strikes straight at Navas

Bruno Fernandes steps up to take, and Keylor Navas dives to the left and saves - his second successive miss.

Replays show Navas was off his line and it looks like VAR is going to make the visitors take it again!

What a bizarre few minutes so far...

20' PENALTY! United win a spot-kick.

Anthony Martial is taken down in the box and the referee points to the spot.

Fernandes to take...

12' Di Maria and Kurzawa come close!

A curled shot from Angel di Maria looks to be finding the side of the goal, but David de Gea is able to parry it away for a corner.

Layvin Kurzawa also nearly finds the net from close-range, in a similar chance to Rashford's from a few minutes ago, but De Gea is able to prevent an opener.

8' Close! United almost find an opener.

A neat ball into the box is in towards Marcus Rashford, but Abdou Diallo has a mix-up with his keeper Keylor Navas and Rashford is almost able to poke it through the keeper's legs.

United having a strong first ten minutes here with PSG not as ferocious as one might have thought going forward.

4' PSG force a corner

Both sides have started fairly evenly, as Aaron Wan-Bissaka's neat challenge on Neymar sees the hosts win a corner.

Some disciplined defending has ensured the visitors clear the ball away well.

Such defending will be crucial if Manchester United are to force an upset this evening - especially from such a rotated back three.

1' Kick-off!

Referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz blows his whistle, Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes kicks us off and we are underway from Paris!

The two sides are out!

The teams make their way onto the pitch in the majestic Parc des Princes.

With the UEFA Champions League theme ringing around the French capital, PSG are set to line up in their navy blue strip with a red, vertical stripe, while Manchester United suit up in their black-and-white alternate strip.

Kick-off is moments away!

Kick-off is imminent!

There's just over five minutes to go until tonight's Champions League curtain-raiser gets underway!

Do not miss a detail of the match with the live updates and commentaries of VAVEL. Follow along with us all the details, commentaries, analysis and lineups for PSG vs Manchester United

PSG: Confirmed starting line-up vs Manchester United

Starting XI: (4-3-3) Navas; Florenzi, Diallo, Kimpembe, Kurzawa; Herrera, Danilo, Gueye; Di Maria, Mbappe, Neymar

Subs: Marquinhos, Rafinha, Rico, Kean, Sarabia, Draxler, Bakker, Letellier, Dagba, Pembele, Ruiz-Atil, Fadiga

Manchester United: Confirmed starting line-up vs PSG

Starting XI: (3-4-1-2) De Gea; Tuanzebe, Lindelof, Shaw; Wan-Bissaka, Telles, Fred, McTominay; Fernandes (C); Martial, Rashford

Subs: Henderson, Fosu-Mensah, Williams, Mata, Matic, Pogba, Van de Beek, James, Pellestri, Ighalo

"Oh and he's smashed it in!"

Looking back to that famous night in March 2019, Marcus Rashford was the man to fire Manchester United into the quarter-finals for the first time since 2014.

Will there be similar levels of pure excitement tonight?

 

Tuchel and Solskjaer discuss the two sides' last meeting

Both managers faced the media before tonight's encounter; Ole Gunnar Solskjaer making his remarks before his side jetted from Manchester on Monday afternoon.

Here's what both Thomas Tuchel and Solskjaer had to say regarding the last time the two sides met, as United claimed a historic victory back in March 2019:

TT: "Since then, a lot of things have changed. We did extraordinary things last season and gained a lot of confidence. Our challenge will not be to think too much about that run, nor about being knocked out by them two years ago. We need to show our quality and be able to come through a very difficult group. In top-level sport you must always prove yourself and win again. We have rediscovered our rhythm and our confidence, and we're a very dangerous team in the Champions League."

OGS: “That’s history for us; it’s in the past. It’s great history, a great game, but it has no impact whatsoever on this game. We’re a different team, they’re a different team and it’s a different stage of the competition. Without fans it will also be a different game. I thought last game when we got the early goal that impacted the crowd. So it’s a whole new situation.”

How to watch PSG vs Manchester United: Live TV and Stream

If you want to watch tonight's game on TV, BT Sport coverage starts at 7pm on BT Sport 2.

If you want to stream tonight's game directly, you can stream the game on the BT Sport app if you subscribe to BT Sport.

If you're looking to stream on the go, on the internet, then VAVEL UK is your best option!

Manchester United: Predicted line-up

(3-4-1-2): De Gea; Tuanzebe, Lindelof, Shaw; Wan-Bissaka, Matic, Pogba, Telles; Fernandes; Rashford, Martial

PSG: Predicted line-up

(4-3-3-): Navas; Florenzi, Marquinos, Kimpembe, Bakker; Gueye, Pereira, Herrera; Di Maria, Mbappe, Neymar

Manchester United: Team news vs PSG

The biggest talking points from Manchester United's travelling squad is the absence of club captain Harry Maguire and youngster Mason Greenwood. 

Maguire picked up an injury that rules him out of tonight's Champions League match, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hopes he will be ready for Saturday's match with Chelsea.

Centre-back Eric Bailly and midfielder Jesse Lingard are also missing from the squad.

Deadline day signing Edinson Cavani unfortunately will not be ready to take on his former team after having just one training session since his fourteen-day isolation period concluded.

Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed that Bruno Fernandes will captain the Red Devils in tonight's game.

PSG: Team news vs Manchester United

Marco Veratti and Leandro Paredes will be absent this evening due to muscle injuries, while striker Mauro Icardi will miss the game with a knee problem.

Centre-back Marquinhos and attacking midfielder Julian Draxler are in line for selection after returning to training this week.

On-loan midfielder Danilo Pereira could make his debut for the first-team after the conclusion of his self-isolation period. Pereira had come into contact with Portugal team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, who tested positive for coronavirus on international duty.

Former Manchester United midfielders Angel di Maria and Ander Herrera could also play a role, as the former returns from suspension.

However, defenders Thilo Kehrer and Juan Bernat will definitely miss out.

United facing a tough challenge against a formidable opponent

Manchester United have faced a tough challenge to start their domestic campaign, and tonight's opponent will be anything but respite.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side sit in 15th as their form prior to the international break was questionable. A 4-1 victory over Newcastle United on Saturday was a key boost in confidence for tonight's visitors.

Eighteen months removed from their last outing in Europe's top competition, United could take some solace in the fact that they knocked PSG out of the 2018-19 UEFA Champions League in a thrilling encounter at Parc des Princes back in March 2019.

The road to redemption starts here for PSG

Tonight's hosts, PSG, sit second in Ligue 1 after a tough start to the season - by their usual superb standards.

With a record of five wins and two losses, they are two points behind unbeaten Lille, but a 6-1 victory over Angers and a 4-0 drubbing of Nimes sandwiched the international break and PSG are in good form ahead of today's match.

Their heartbreak in last year's final will surely be only further motivation to go one better in this season's UEFA Champions League.

An overview of tonight's fixture

This is the first matchday in Group H of the Champions League, as perhaps the two favourites of the group face off.

Manchester United are the only former winners of the competition to be in Group H, while PSG finished as runners-up last term.

The other two sides, RB Leipzig and İstanbul Başakşehir, also play tonight.

Kick-Off Time

PSG vs Manchester United will be played at Parc des Princes, Paris, France. The fixture will kick-off at 8pm.

Welcome to PSG vs Manchester United Live Blog

Hello and welcome to VAVEL UK's live text commentary for this evening's UEFA Champions League Group H fixture between Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United at Parc des Princes, Paris. 

 

My name is Ryan Batty and I will be your host for today's match. We will provide you with pre-game analysis, team updates, and news as it happens live here on VAVEL.com

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