Match report: United 2 PAOK 0

Thursday 07 November 2024 22:00

Manchester United earned a first win in the new-look Europa League group phase with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Greek champions PAOK Salonika at Old Trafford on Thursday night.

Amad reaped the rewards his own performance merited, as he netted his second and third goals of the campaign in the second half, to end our sequence of three successive draws in the competition and extend our unbeaten run to three games under interim head coach Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Ruud made three changes to the side that drew 1-1 with Chelsea as Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans came into central defence for Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez, while Amad made his first start since 3 October as Marcus Rashford was rested on a substitutes’ bench which had a mix of youth and experience.

Two former Premier League players in ex-Wolves man Jonny and Chelsea old boy Baba Rahman were the full-backs in PAOK’s line-up, with Shola Shoretire - who left the Reds to make the switch to Greece in the summer - starting the night among the back-up brigade.

FIRST HALF - AMAD SHINES BUT REDS STRUGGLE FOR SPARK

A minute’s silence before kick-off, to remember the victims of the floods in Valencia, was the quietest that a packed Theatre of Dreams was all night as around 4,000 noisy fans from Greece contributed to a fervent atmosphere.

Ruud sprung a surprise from the off by switching Noussair Mazraoui - who was outstanding at left-back against Chelsea - to right-back, with Diogo Dalot operating from the left.

PAOK settled the quicker and had the first attempts at goal as Mady Camara met Andrija Zivkovic’s pull-back firmly and his shot deflected off Casemiro towards goal but, with Andre Onana wrongfooted, Evans was on hand to clear inside the six-yard box. Soon after, Zivkovic curled a left-footed effort of his own wide from the corner of the penalty area.

The Reds had to be patient but began to assert our influence as Alejandro Garnacho’s back-post header from Casemiro’s inviting cross was blocked by Jonny.

Amad was, by far, our most lively performer in the first half and earned appreciation from the Reds faithful. Our no.16 was denied what looked to be a clear penalty, when he was sent tumbling by Baba, an incident which was checked and somehow cleared by the Video Assistant Referee, before delivering a delightful cross for Rasmus Hojlund, whose header was straight at PAOK keeper Dominik Kotarski.

Romanian referee Radu Petrescu turned down another claim for a United spot-kick when Casemiro felt he was unfairly impeded by Omar Colley, as he latched onto captain Bruno Fernandes’s forward pass. A vital back-post intervention from Baba then prevented Amad from a tap-in from Garnacho’s low centre, at the end of a flowing Reds move.

The warning signs were evident for van Nistelrooy’s men at the other end, however, as Zivkovic held the ball up before smashing his shot wide of the target. Onana then showed his concentration levels were high with an athletic save after Camara was afforded space to unleash a half-volley.

SECOND HALF - AMAD AT THE DOUBLE

A fast start from the Reds saw the PAOK rearguard put under intense pressure and the standout man of the first half made the breakthrough five minutes after the break.

Amad pulled away at the back post from a pinpoint Fernandes cross to direct a looping header back across goal and into the far corner via the post, as the Ivory Coast international added to his Premier League strike at Brighton in August with a first European goal for the Reds since scoring with a header against AC Milan in 2021.

PAOK looked for a route back into the game as Zivkovic snatched at a poked effort following a defence-splitting pass by Magomed Ozdoyev and the Reds were given a huge let-off when Tarik Tissoudali - in his last act before being substituted - found space around 12 yards out but struck a tame shot which Onana saved low to his left.

At the other end, Dalot could only rifle over the crossbar from Garnacho’s cutback before Amad found onrushing keeper Kotarski in his way after being played in again by a sweeping Fernandes pass. Another penalty appeal proved to be in vain when Garnacho went down under the challenge of Jonny, with replays inconclusive on this occasion.

Ruud looked to inject some fresh impetus with the introduction of Rashford, Martinez and the returning Christian Eriksen from the bench, in place of Dalot, Garnacho and Manuel Ugarte.

Our opponents, currently second in the Greek Super League, had grown in confidence as the Reds were forced to retreat but just when it was becoming frustrating for United, Amad stole the show again.

The forward’s perseverance paid off as he hunted down and robbed Baba, advanced towards goal and curled a left-footed effort from the edge of the area, which nestled into the corner via a slight deflection to double his and United’s tally for the night.

There was concern for the 22-year-old soon after, when he went down requiring treatment, and he received widespread acclaim when making way for Mason Mount, as our no.7 made his first appearance since late September after recovering from injury.

A warm ovation was also afforded to a familiar face as Shola Shoretire - the youngest player to appear for United in European competition after his substitute outing against Real Sociedad in 2021 - made a brief cameo in the closing stages in place of Taison, becoming embroiled in something of a spat with Casemiro.

But PAOK were already consigned to their fate as the Reds - who went close to a third through Rashford in stoppage time, when the substitute prodded a Fernandes pass just wide - posted three valuable points as we reach the halfway point of the Europa League group phase.

WHAT’S NEXT?

The Reds will be hoping to give van Nistelrooy a winning conclusion to his stint as interim head coach when Leicester City visit Old Trafford on Sunday (kick-off 14:00 GMT) for the second time in 11 days - after we beat Steve Cooper’s Foxes 5-2 in the Carabao Cup.

MATCH DETAILS

United: Onana; Mazraoui, Lindelof, Evans, Dalot (Martinez 65); Ugarte (Eriksen 65), Casemiro; Amad (Mount 81), Fernandes (c), Garnacho (Rashford 65); Hojlund (Zirkzee 90).

Subs not used: Bayindir, Heaton, Amass, De Ligt, Fitzgerald,  Antony, Wheatley.

Goals: Amad 50,77.

Booked: Ugarte, Casemiro

PAOK: Kotarski; Jonny, Kedziora, Colley, Baba; Ozdoev, Schwab (c) (Bakayoko 65); Zivkovic, Camara (Despodov 76), Taison (Shoretire 84); Tissoudali (Chalov 65).

Subs not used: Monastirlis, Balomenos, Michalidis, Sastre, Thymianis, Brandon.

Booked: Tissoudali.

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