Three reasons Manchester United should have started Cavani on the bench against PSG

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Many Manchester United fans were desperate to see Edinson Cavani start. And they got their wish against his former club Paris Saint-Germain.

In truth, Cavani’s outstanding second-half performance against Southampton made a start inevitable. Yet Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should have been smarter, keeping his powder dry in a game he could not afford to lose.

Here are three reasons why Cavani should have come off the bench for United once more.

Cavani would have hated it

Just days after two goals and an assist in a 3-2 victory, Cavani would have been fuming to start on the bench against his former employers. Yet Solskjaer could have used that anger to his advantage.

Imagine Cavani chomping at the bit to come on and prove his manager wrong.

It could have made for another super-sub outing; which is exactly what United needed last week.

A psychological blow for PSG

PSG know exactly what Cavani can do. So watching him standing on the side-lines with the bit between his teeth would have had a psychological impact.

PSG would have known Cavani was coming on eventually, so calling on him with 30 minutes to go and (hopefully) with the game in the balance, could have made all the difference.

A substitute with real impact

When United did turn to their substitutes, it was the out-of-form Mason Greenwood and the rarely-seen Odion Ighalo tasked with scoring a goal.

Unfortunately, and unsurprisingly, United failed to turn things round and it was actually the visitors who scored a third late on.

Ighalo arriving with time running out would not have scared the French side’s back-line. But Cavani certainly would have.

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