Verratti puts order at PSG

Paris Saint-Germain returned to practice something that resembles good play.

It wasn't much, but it was enough.

It happened at Old Trafford, in spades, guided by Verratti and aided - once again - by a very rigorous arbitration decision that helped him cope with the predicament thanks to the expulsion of an opponent.

The result was a victory more or less suffered that allows him to leave the hole in which he has lived in the group stage of this Champions League.

He added nine points and if next Tuesday he beats Istanbul in the Park of the Princes he will go to the eighth.

United and Leipzig, who also have nine, will decide the rest of Group H on a final matchday in which any of the three can be eliminated.

Thomas Tuchel was gambling for the job after a series of poor results.

The operation of the equipment deteriorated every day.

Far from composing attacks en masse, this fall the plan of the innovative German coach derived from the old formula used by the most powerful clubs in the last century: six defend and four attack.

The archaism that once allowed the richest to win by crushing, turned PSG into a bore.

Football no longer allows self-management by attackers.

Tuchel embraced this solution when Verratti was injured this summer to contest the Champions League outcome and what seemed provisional ended up completely distorting the game.

The Italian's return to starting at Old Trafford was worth more than all the coach's slogans.

MNU

1

-

3

PSG

M. United De Gea, Alex Telles, Wan-Bissaka (Ighalo, min. 89), Nilsson-Lindelöf, Harry Maguire, Scott McTominay, Bruno Fernandes, Rashford (Pogba, min. 73), Anthony Martial (Mason Greenwood, min. 78 ), Fred and Cavani (Donny van de Beek, min. 78) PSG Keylor Navas, Abdou Diallo (Idrissa Gueye, min. 89), Kimpembe, Florenzi (Thilo Kehrer, min. 77), Marquinhos, Verratti (Rafinha, min. 77 ), Danilo Pereira, Paredes (Ander Herrera, min. 64), Kean (Mitchel Bakker, min. 64), Kylian Mbappe and Neymar

Goals0-1 min.

5: Neymar.

1-1 min.

31: Rashford.

1-2 min.

68: Marquinhos.

1-3 min.

90: Neymar.

Referee Daniele Orsato Yellow cards Fred (min. 22), Paredes (min. 37) and Verratti (min. 58) Red cards Fred (min. 69)

It usually occurs with the contribution of clairvoyant midfielders.

At the dictation of Verratti's passes, the players grouped together and opened up with more meaning, the distribution of spaces was coherent, and both Mbappé and Neymar received the ball in places and at exasperating moments for the rival defense without having to make an extra effort .

The Kylian Mbappé connection was one of Tuchel's pending accounts.

The Frenchman has not scored a goal in the Champions League since December 2019. This Wednesday he entered Old Trafford with a firm step.

After five minutes he drew a slalom from the right, leaned on Neymar and finished.

The ball bounced off a defender and for her was Neymar, who appeared at the outlined second post and finished off from the right.

It was an improper goal for the Brazilian, due to the aggressiveness with which he approached the second play.

Far from taking advantage of the advantage to reaffirm their dominance, PSG incurred in distractions.

Inconsistency has been its most defining trait for years.

Paredes personified him, more aware of fighting fights with Fred than helping his teammates to raise the pace and finish taking United out of the game.

Encouraged by the frivolities of their adversary, United advanced towards the Navas area with the difficulty that characterizes it.

With McTominay more aware of watching Neymar than of contributing in something else, the English team played with one less each time they had the ball.

It was enough to get PSG into trouble.

Between Martial and Rashford they forced the error of Danilo, who got against the shot of the English.

Cavani al palo

The break ignited United.

Cavani was 1-2 on a counterattack that completely uncovered the defense.

The Uruguayan, who was reunited with his former teammates, broke the offside with the touch of a surgeon and sent the ball to the crossbar with a balloon on the exit of Navas.

United felt dominating when they received 1-2.

Marquinhos put it in the small area, hand in hand with De Gea, after a corner and three rejections.

Not a minute had passed since the goal when the referee, Daniele Orsato, definitively altered the ecosystem of a match marked by the irregularity of the opponents.

The expulsion of Fred for going with too much momentum to a divided ball that he conquered against Herrera, left PSG with one less with fifteen minutes remaining.

As in the previous day, when they enjoyed an astonishing penalty in their favor, once again PSG had their way paved by a debatable referee decision.

Although Pogba's entry helped give his teammates a boost that forced the visitors to retreat, Neymar and Mbappé wreaked havoc against them.

Mbappé played the first attempt on his own, to the despair of Neymar, who was offered him for the final pass.

Missing for almost an hour, Neymar returned when the ropes of the match loosened.

He opened the play with an exquisite pass to the Frenchman, went to receive, played with Rafinha in the area and as the Brazilian returned the ball on a tray he beat De Gea without letting him react.

The 1-3 took the last finalist of the Champions League out of a desperate situation.

But it does not completely save him from the danger of being eliminated next week.