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The Champions League Round of 16 handed some very interesting draws. However, none of the drawn-out matches will be bigger than the tie between French giants Paris Saint- Germain and 3 time UEFA Champions League winners Manchester United
When the draws were announced in December, everyone had Paris Saint-Germain as the overwhelming favorites to emerge as the winners, but a change in manager for Manchester United, injuries, and momentum has shifted the odds in favor of the Red Devils. Despite the change in circumstances, this tie is expected to be a very tightly contested match.
Both of these historic clubs are very rich in their footballing history. Arguably the biggest club in England and the biggest club in France have a lot of things in common, including players who have represented both the clubs at the highest possible level.
Here is a look at 5 players who donned both the clubs' colors at some stage in their career.
Also see : Womens World Cup Bracket, Copa America Standings, Gold Cup Standings
#5 Gabriel Heinze
Paris Saint Germain (2001-2004)
Manchester United (2004-2007)
Gabriel Heinze was a very talented left back who has represented both Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain. The Argentine was a versatile player who could play as a central defender too.
Heinze moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 2001 and spent over 3 seasons with the French giants. He managed to make over 100 appearances for PSG scoring 4 goals. Heinze was one of the most trusted players in the squad during his time at Paris.
Heinze moved to Manchester United in 2004 for a fee of 6.9 million Euros. He made his debut in a 2-2 draw vs Bolton Wanderers and went on to cement his place as the first choice left-back for the club. His second season at United was hampered by a major injury which ruled him out for the whole season.
Heinze found it tough to recover from the injury which resulted in France defender Patrice Evra becoming the first choice left back at the club. Not getting many first-team opportunities, Heinze decided to quit Manchester United in 2007. The Argentine defender made over 50 appearances for United in which he also scored a goal.
#4 Angel Di Maria
Manchester United (2014-2015)
Paris Saint Germain ( 2015-present)
In one of the most talked about moves of the 2014 transfer window, Angel Di Maria joined Manchester United from Real Madrid for a record fee of 59.7 million Euros. The Argentine winger started his United career in the best way possible, by winning the man of the match in only his second game at the club.
Against Leicester, Di Maria scored one of the goals of the season with a beautiful chip over goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. However, his good form did not last for long as he lost his starting XI place to Ashley Young. Di Maria spent only one season at the club making 27 appearances and scoring 3 goals.
In 2015, Di Maria decided to move on from the Manchester-based club and joined Paris Saint-Germain for a fee of 44 million Euros. The Argentine has been at the club for more than 4 seasons now in which he has scored 32 goals in more than 102 appearances.
#3 Ray Wilkins
Manchester United ( 1979-1984)
Paris Saint Germain (1987)
One of the best midfielders of his generation, Ray Wilkins joined Manchester United in 1979 after his boyhood club Chelsea were relegated from the top flight English football. Wilkins joined Manchester United for a fee of £825,000.
He went on to make 160 appearances for the club and scored 10 goals. Wilkins gave some outstanding performances during his time at Manchester United which forced Italian Giants A.C Milan to make a bid in the region of 2 million Euros for the midfielder. After more than 5 seasons at United, Wilkins left the club in 1984 and joined A.C Milan.
After spending 3 seasons in Italy, Wilkins decided to join French team Paris Saint-Germain in 1987. He failed to show his old form and potential in France and found it difficult to break into the first team. His move to Paris was an utter failure, and he decided to move on just after 3 months at the club. Wilkins made 13 appearances in his time at Paris.
#2 Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Paris Saint-Germain (2012-2016)
Manchester United (2016-2018)
One of the most prolific and fearsome strikers of the modern era, Zlatan Ibrahimovic moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 2012 for a fee of 20 million Euros. The Swedish striker turned out to be one of the best buys in the history of French League. Zlatan went on to win the league 4 times with the French team.
Along with the League titles, Zlatan also won 2 Coupe De France with Paris Saint-Germain. He went on to make more than 122 appearances for the club, in which he scored 113 goals in the league itself. After 5 seasons at the club, Zlatan decided to move on in 2016 in search of a new challenge.
In summer 2016, Ibrahimovic joined Manchester United from PSG on a free transfer. The Swedish striker made 33 appearances and scored 17 goals in the Premier League. He was one of the major reasons behind United winning the Europa League and the League cup in the 2016-17 season.
Zlatan was struck by a major knee injury at the end of his first season in England which forced him out of action for more than 6 months. Not being able to play at the same level again, Zlatan left United in 2018 to play for LA Galaxy in the MLS.
#1 David Beckham
Manchester United (1992-2003)
Paris Saint-Germain (2013)
One of the most celebrated English players of all time, David Beckham was part of Manchester United's youth set-up since 1991 along with the likes of Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, and Nicky Butt. Beckham made his Premier League debut for United in 1995.
He went on to win 6 Premier League titles with United along with Champions League in 1999. Known for his wonderful free-kicks, Beckham made 285 appearances for the Red Devils scoring 62 goals. Beckham left United in 2003, moving to Spanish giants Real Madrid.
On the deadline day of the 2013 transfer window, Beckham joined Paris Saint Germain from L.A Galaxy. The French giants club confirmed that Beckham will be donating his wages to a local children's charity. On 16 May 2013, Beckham announced that he would retire from professional football at the end of that year's French football season. The English midfielder made 10 appearances for the Paris based team.
