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So Manchester United have travelled to Paris Saint-Germain coddling fond memories from their last visit where an inexperienced United side came from behind to pull off one of the better comeback victories we have seen in recent times.
Much has changed since that day though. Manchester United have looked really promising in one moment and utterly underwhelming in the next. Paris Saint-Germain have not had a great start to their new domestic campaign even though they did provide a good account of themselves last season in Europe.
Paris Saint-Germain might be the better team on paper thanks to their recent form but Manchester United might pack just enough firepower to pull an upset tonight. Let's take a look at five reasons why Manchester United can surprise Paris Saint-Germain.
#5 Paris Saint-Germain have all the pressure
Paris Saint-Germain made it to the finals of the UEFA Champions League last time around and are odds on favourites to win this one. PSG have scored a total of 15 goals from their last four games and after their stuttering start, they seem to be cruising now.
They will be playing Manchester United at home and will be expected to come away with a win tonight. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and co. will show up in Paris feeling like they have nothing to lose. They will come out of the gates swinging and that extra bit of pressure on Paris Saint-Germain could be telling.
They will also be looking to exact revenge on the Red Devils for what happened in March 2019 when the two sides last met and the fear of another dismal performance could be quite detrimental to their morale.
Also check out: Updated Champions League Standings 2020/21
#4 Manchester United are well wary of their chances
Manchester United overturned a 2-0 home deficit by beating Paris Saint-Germain at Le Parc Des Princes in March 2019 thanks to a brace from Romelu Lukaku and a stoppage time penalty by Marcus Rashford.
More than the goals, it was the spirit that the Manchester United players showed that shone through. With Paul Pogba unavailable and an inexperienced Scott McTominay partnering Fred in midfield, Ole's side was not given a chance.
But they came out of the gates swinging, pressed Paris Saint-Germain into panic and kept going at it even though the odds were not stacked in their favour. Romelu Lukaku dug a goal out of nothing. That's what happens when you make the pressure count.
So Manchester United are well aware of the fact that they can go shoulder to shoulder with their opposition and will feel confident about their chances tonight.
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#3 Paris Saint-Germain are without a couple of key players
As is often the case, games like these are won in midfield. Manchester United have several options in midfield and on their day, they're all top players. If Solskjaer chooses to go with the trio of Matic, Pogba and Bruno and all three show up tonight, the PSG midfield could struggle.
They are without their main midfield man Marco Verratti who is nursing a knee injury that he suffered on international duty and could be out for three weeks. Thomas Tuchel has confirmed that both Verratti and Paredes won't feature against the Red Devils.
Paredes injured his thigh muscle in their match against Nimes in Ligue 1 last Friday. Mauro Icardi is also sidelined with a knee problem while Juan Bernat and Thilo Kehrer are also unavailable.
#2 Manchester United have thrived against attacking opposition
It's the defensive low block that Manchester United have consistently had problems trying to break down. They were good at it for a fair amount of time in the latter half of last season but have struggled once again with opposition that likes to sit back and defend.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side packs a lot of pace and is one of the most dangerous teams on the counter. Paris Saint-Germain are a team that likes to dominate possession. As such, we expect Manchester United to adopt a high-intensity approach and look to break every time they dispossess Paris Saint-Germain.
PSG will commit bodies forward allowing a lot of space to be available for the likes of Rashford, Greenwood, Martial, Bruno and Pogba to run into and it is in this kind of scenario that we've seen Manchester United at their best. After all, they beat Manchester City thrice last season and it was no fluke.
#1 Players finally starting to look fit
To be fair to Manchester United, they had very little time to recuperate prior to the 2020-21 season. They had an extremely drawn out season and had to kick off their Premier League campaign on the back of a singular pre-season friendly that was played behind closed doors.
Players had to be available for international duty in between as well. In addition to that, the fatigue from the fixtures that came thick and fast after the Covid break was starting to show. The Red Devils have looked off pace quite a lot but against Newcastle United last week, they looked like themselves once again.
The international break also saw several Manchester United players putting in top performances. It looks like United are finally finding their feet and if they can produce that extra bit of sharpness and quality against Paris Saint-Germain, we are in for a thrilling night of football.
