On Wednesday night, from 20:00, Manchester United and PSG will play the most interesting match of the evening in the Champions League, at Old Trafford. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has to “bury” a competitive team against the French, due to batch problems, so the chances of a new success of the “devils” are quite small. In the round, United won away with 2-1.
Manchester United do not have Jones and Shaw at their disposal, but many other footballers have medical problems and are declared “uncertain”: Bailly, Lingard, Martial, McTominay, Pogba and De Gea are unsure of the game, so Solskjaer must be prepared for their absences. PSG comes to the match without injuries Bernat, Draxler, Kehrer and Marquinhos. Otherwise, the French attack looks very good, at least on paper. In the group H ranking, the fight is extremely balanced, so that each team has chances to qualify.
Manchester United has 9 points in 4 matches (goal difference 12-4), and PSG and RB Leipzig have 6 points each. Only the goal average keeps PSG above the Germans. The last ranked is Istanbul Basaksehir, which has only one victory in the group, obtained against Manchester United (2-1). In fact, that failure in Turkey was the last to be suffered by the English “devils.” Since then, the white-reds have won games with Everton (3-1), WBA (1-0), Basaksehir (4-1 in the return leg) and Southampton (3-2, with a 0-2 comeback). PSG comes after a 2-2 championship with Bordeaux, a match in which Neymar (’27) and Kean (’28) scored the hosts ’goals. Adli (’60) brought the equalizer for the Girondins and an unexpected point.
Overall, PSG’s defense is not at a great level and has conceded goals easily lately, with Leipzig (1-2), Monaco (2-3) and Bordeaux (2-2), so the show is not excluded Wednesday evening. Even if it is quite inconsistent, Manchester United has some brilliant players in front, and Bruno Fernandes is the creative element that can make a difference at any time. With Rashford and Cavani on the offensive, the English certainly start with good chances, but PSG has the habit of managing the decisive matches well.
For Cavani it will be a match with a special stake, because the Uruguayan will meet his former colleagues from PSG. Most likely, the former Ligue 1 goal scorer will be used in the first half on Wednesday. At the weekend, he managed a “double” rescue against Southampton, in the 3-2 victory.
The two teams have an interesting recent history. Manchester United eliminated PSG dramatically from the last edition of the UEFA Champions League, after a historic 3-1 away! In the round, PSG had beaten Old Trafford 2-0 and seemed to qualify for the next round. PSG missed the chance of revenge in this edition of the Champions League, losing at home to the “devils”, after another decisive goal scored by Rashford, from Pogba’s pass (’87). A new success would guarantee Solskjaer the qualification, but their form on their own field is unpredictable this season (3 – 1 -3).
However, there is one figure that attracts attention: United has 10 victories in 14 home games against Ligue 1 teams in the European Cups! With only two victories in the last five official matches, PSG hopes to score through the stars Mbappe and Neymar, who have the mission to make up for the defensive deficiencies of Thomas Tuchel’s team. We expect a spectacular game, with goals on both sides.
Manchester United: Henderson; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Telles; Fred, Matic, Van de Beek; Fernandes; Rashford, Cavani
Coach: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Paris Saint-Germain: Navas; Florenzi, Pereira, Kimpembe, Bakker; Verratti, Marquinhos, Herrera; Di Maria, Mbappe, Neymar
Coach: Thomas Tuchel
Manchester United comes after four wins in a row, in all competitions (goal difference 11-4);
In 5 of the last 6 matches of PSG, at least three goals have been scored;
Manchester United have drawn only once in the last 10 official matches;
Manchester United have won the last two direct duels with PSG, both away;
No other team has scored more goals with the reserves this season;
For the first time since 2012, PSG can lose 3 consecutive trips;
PREDICTION: Both teams to score / YES @ 1,52
