PSG and Manchester United play to a draw in final pre-season test
Ahead of Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup showdown with Aston Villa, Paris Saint-Germain tested their lineup against Manchester United in a tightly contested friendly in Göteborg.
On a cool Swedish evening, both sides fielded largely experimental sides. PSG, still missing several first-team regulars, started brightly with a well-worked goal inside two minutes. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Dário Fernandes and Ibrahim Mbaye combined sharply before the Georgian winger finished low past Tom Heaton.
United showed resilience after the goal, with Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo combining effectively. A fine free-kick from Mbeumo was parried away by Matveï Safonov, but Diallo capitalized on a defensive error to equalize on the half-hour. Moments later, Safonov palmed another Mbeumo effort away, and Kvaratskhelia remained PSG’s sole outlet up front.
Manchester United fight back
United’s pressure grew after the interval. Mason Mount limped off injured early on, but his replacement nearly scored before Joshua Zirkzee forced Safonov into another sharp save. The Russian shot-stopper then fanned out to block a third Mbeumo effort in stoppage time, preserving the 1-1 draw.
Luis Enrique’s squad rotation
With the Super Cup just days away, manager Luis Enrique used the second half to give minutes to fresh legs. Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, João Mendes and captain Marquinhos all saw action. Safonov, who had stood in for Lucas Chevalier, completed the full 90 minutes, while Lucas Beraldo marshaled the midfield.
Manchester United: Heaton (Mee, 49’) – Mazraoui (Dalot, 46’), Maguire (cap), Heaven (Yoro, 46’), Shaw (Amass, 65’) – Mount (T. Fletcher, 20’), Santos (Tielemans, 65’) – Diallo (J. Fletcher, 65’), Lacey, Dorgu (Fernandes, 65’) – Mbeumo (Zirkzee, 65’).
