PSG vs Manchester United: 5 key battles

Manchester United got their season back on track with a well deserved victory at Newcastle on the weekend. There were many positives for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to take from his team's performance, including their best defensive outing of the season in the league so far.

The focus now shifts to the Champions League, where a clash with French champions PSG awaits them. Manchester United find themselves in the 'Group of Death', with RB Leipzig posing a real threat to their chances of progression to the next round. United will be hoping to get their UCL campaign to a positive start with victory in the French capital.

Here are the 5 key battles that will determine the result of this heavyweight clash.

1) Neymar vs Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Manchester United signed Aaron Wan-Bissaka last summer for big money to bolster their defense. The young right-back is known for his defensive talents and is one of the best 1v1 full-backs in the world.

Wan-Bissaka has held his own against some of the best wingers in the world such as Sterling, Mane, and Son, but faces his toughest challenge yet in Brazilian superstar Neymar. He bagged his first senior goal against Newcastle, but on Tuesday night he will have to focus on defense against a winger who has it all.

Neymar will be raring to go after defeat in the finals last year and missing 'that night in Paris' two years ago. The English full-back will have to win this battle if Manchester United are to have any chance of winning the match.

2) Bruno Fernandes vs Idrissa Gueye

Idrissa Gueye joined PSG last season, and immediately brought increased defensive solidity to a free-flowing attack. He partnered with Marquinhos to form a formidable midfield engine that was instrumental in their run to the finals last season.

If PSG are to replicate that run this season, Gueye will need to stifle Manchester United's talismanic playmaker Bruno Fernandes, who comes into this game after grabbing a goal and an assist against the Magpies. Bruno will be eager to impress on his UCL debut for United by helping them win a match that very few think they can.

3) Anthony Martial vs Presnel Kimpembe

Anthony Martial had to sit out Manchester United's win over the weekend due to the unfortunate red card he picked up against Spurs before the break. He will, however, be available for Manchester United in the Champions League on Tuesday. Coming off the back of his best goal-scoring season for the Red Devils, Martial will be eager to show that he is the answer for the striker position at Old Trafford in the long run.

He will be up against his France teammate Presnel Kimpembe who will also be wanting to show that he can lead PSG's defense following Thiago Silva's departure. The two French stars will be hoping to get the better of each other to help their team start the campaign on the right note.

4)Kylian Mbappé vs Manchester United's centre-backs

Harry Maguire is slow, Victor Lindelof is not the fastest, and Eric Bailly and Axel Tuanzebe are doubts to start. But on Tuesday night, whoever starts for Manchester United in central defense will face the Herculean task of keeping French sensation Kylian Mbappé quiet. The PSG striker idolizes Cristiano Ronaldo, and will be looking to torment his idol's former club with similar speed and directness.

Harry Maguire will start for sure after his quest for redemption started with a goal on the weekend. He will be looking to use his strength and positioning to get better of Mbappé and keep the forward quiet, while Mbappé will hope to use his speed and guide to outrun the Manchester United captain.

5) Ole Gunnar Solskjaer vs Thomas Tuchel

The most important battle that will influence the match will happen before the game, and on the touchline during the game. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer all but ensured he got the full-time job at Manchester United with a remarkable and improbable victory against PSG two years ago. He will be hoping to repeat that feat to maintain the momentum gained by winning on the weekend.

On the other hand, Thomas Tuchel will be eager to send out an early message that his team are ready to go one step further and lift the trophy this year by beating Manchester United on matchday 1.

Both managers prefer free flowing and attacking football, but both of them have also showed tactical adaptability and acumen to tweak their systems against tougher oppositions to get positive results. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer showed that he can go toe-to-toe with the best, as he registered 3 wins out 4 against Pep Guardiola last season.

Tuchel has evolved from his Dortmund days by becoming more flexible and pragmatic when needed. It will be an interesting tactical battle on Tuesday night, with the 5 substitutes rule giving both managers plenty of opportunity to rectify any mistakes and outsmart their opposite number.

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Edited by Deepit Magee