Manchester United have met Paris Saint-Germain on four previous occasions, competitively, all in the UEFA Champions League. Obviously, Saturday’s meeting with PSG will be only a friendly, which is an entirely different animal.
However, this weekend’s meeting in Sweden provides an opportunity to reflect on the match in this series that most United supporters will never forget.
Manchester United Preseason Tour 2026
Preseason Friendly #4 vs Paris Saint-Germain
Kickoff: Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, 4:00 PM BST / 5:00 PM CET
Venue: Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg, Sweden
Manchester United Preview Content: Team News
It was March 6, 2019 in Paris, during the UCL round of 16. Marcus Rashford scored an injury-time penalty that capped off an amazing, odds-defying comeback that sealed the tie on away goals.
A huge upset victory over PSG that nobody saw coming, it sent United to the quarter-finals and solidified OIe Gunnar Solskjaer’s position.
At that point, he was only a caretaker manager, and this glory pretty much got the “interim” label taken off his position.
Obviously, it didn’t work out in the next round against Barcelona, or for Solskjaer in the long-term, but that was still a glorious night.
Shifting gears back to the present, United beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 last weekend, and certain members of the team, like forward Bryan Mbeumo are in midseason form already.
Mbeumo scored both goals last weekend.
“We had a clear plan before the game, everybody stuck to it and it made the game really enjoyable,” Mbeumo said to the club’s in house media.
“I think we work really hard during training for these types of games. The main goal is to be ready for the season starting. Everyone has done an amazing job.”
Manchester United Predicted Starting XI vs PSG
Senne Lammens; Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire, Ayden Heaven, Luke Shaw; Andrey Santos, Shea Lacey, Mason Mount; Patrick Dorgu, Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.