Manchester United have beaten PSG in Paris again. A late goal from Marcus Rashford was the difference.
Bruno Fernandes had scored a first half penalty, with an Anthony Martial own goal in between.
Here is a look at five things we learned from a satisfying night…
Nerves of steel
Bruno Fernandes’ penalty scoring streak came to an end at the weekend.
He was back on penalty duty just 25 minutes into this game after Anthony Martial was brought down in the box.
Fernandes missed again, but he was given a reprieve after Keylor Navas was judged to be off his line.
He had no hesitation the second time, and put the ball in the same corner. Navas went the wrong way.
This was also a case of decisions getting evened out. David de Gea saved a penalty against Palace last month and had the decision wiped out and the spot kick re-taken.
There was no doubting Navas was off his line, so it is hard to feel any sympathy.
Alex Telles’ crossing is a big asset
This was a very competent debut from new signing Alex Telles, who was able to showcase what he bring to the team.
Telles’ corner taking is worth the fee paid for him alone. Whipping in in-swinging corners from the right was a real danger which almost led to a second goal in the first half.
His crossing from the left was outstanding too. When he has Edinson Cavani to aim at in the centre, this will lead to goals.
It’s just one game, but it’s clear already that having Telles in the XI makes United a better team.
Axel Tuanzebe rose to the challenge
This was Axel Tuanzebe’s first game for United in 2020. His last action at any level was for the under-23s in March.
Throwing him in against Neymar and Kylian Mbappe was a brave call. It also turned out to be the right one.
He shut down Mbappe one-on-one on two separate occasions. His reading of the game got United out of trouble.
United will have no worries putting him into the tough run of upcoming fixtures ahead.
Three points the perfect start
Marcus Rashford’s late winner was the perfect way for Manchester United to cap a strong performance.
Receiving the ball outside the area, PSG backed off, and he made them pay with a coolly struck shot.
This win puts United in a commanding position in the group already.
If we win all of our home games, which is easier said than done, we will qualify. This is the best possible way to kick start the campaign.
Champions League nights are not quite the same
It should come as no surprise. We have been used to football without fans for months now.
This was one of the occasions which really drove home how flat the atmosphere is without supporters in attendance.
The game still had the intensity you would expect from two top sides, but as an occasion, it was lacking.
We all remember the wild scenes when we won in Paris in 2019. This wasn’t quite the same.
It probably worked to our advantage early on, with PSG lacking the vocal home crowd behind them.
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