Manchester United will continue their stay in Sweden with a match against the reigning Champions League winners, PSG, for whom this is their final warm-up before two consecutive Super Cup matches next week.
The Red Devils are determined to take on the strongest teams ahead of the new Premier League season, and following their victory over Atletico Madrid – which I predicted a week ago – they now face the ultimate challenge in European football: PSG.
The Parisians have had a longer break than any of the other top teams, and this was evident in their 3-0 defeat by Mallorca in their first pre-season match.
Whilst United have already played three friendlies and have the same number planned, for PSG this is their final warm-up before Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup match against Aston Villa and next Sunday’s French Super Cup clash against Lens.
PSG were without most of their key players against Mallorca, but most have now resumed training, and we are likely to see a much stronger line-up against United.
How the bookies view it: PSG with more pre-season struggles
Although on paper PSG are a much stronger side than Manchester United, the bookmakers believe the Red Devils will win this match, pricing them at 9/10.
However, the gap isn’t quite that wide, with PSG available at 19/10, whilst a draw is also an option at 16/5.
Recent head-to-head: Two wins each in the last four H2Hs
Manchester United haven’t played in the Champions League for some time and, as such, haven’t had the chance to face the Parisians. But in 2019 and 2020, they played each other a total of four times, and fans of both teams will certainly remember those encounters, for better or for worse.
Across the five official matches between the two sides, we’ve seen three wins for PSG and two for Manchester United.
Players to watch: Cunha's World Cup form can make the difference
I’ll say it again: the player who has impressed the most so far in United’s pre-season is the young Shea Lacey, and I fully expect Carrick to put his faith in him once more, although more first-team regulars are expected to return for this match.
Among the confirmed returns are Bruno Fernandes, Matheus Cunha and Noussair Mazraoui, so it’s quite likely we’ll see them in action. In that case, Bruno Fernandes is certainly a good pick, even after a break, whilst Cunha is likely to be motivated following his strong performance for Brazil at the World Cup.
Probable line-ups
Manchester United: Lammens, Yoro, Maguire, Heaven, Shaw, Tielemans, Mount, Amad, Fernandes, Cunha, Mbeumo
Paris Saint-Germain: Safonov, Mendes, Pacho, Zabarnyi, Lucea, Vitinha, Neves, Beraldo, Mbaye, Ndjantou, Kvaratskhelia
Anything else catch the eye?
Although they have had absolutely no time to prepare, PSG are expected to be without half their first-team regulars once again, including Dembele, Doue, Barcola and Ruiz.
Meanwhile, Manchester United will have a near-full squad, and that will make a huge difference. I can’t see this game ending without goals at both ends, and that will be my main bet, but I certainly believe the Red Devils are the logical favourites to win the match.
Luis Enrique won’t let a second heavy defeat slip by after the poor performance against Mallorca, but a result such as 2–1 to United sounds plausible.
Think both sides will find the net? Our BTTS Masterclass explains how to spot the fixtures where goals are a given.
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