Ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League tie, all the talk surrounding Paris Saint-Germain was over their injury struggles and how they’d be affected against Manchester United.

As it turned out, no Neymar, no Edinson Cavani, no problem. Thomas Tuchel masterminded a classic away win, as PSG now hold a 2-0 lead heading into the home leg of their round of 16 tie thanks to goals from Pascal Kimpembe and Kylian Mbappe.

The German manager will no doubt be delighted at seeing his plans come to fruition at Old Trafford. Here’s a look at how he pulled off the win.

PSG KEY STATS

Goals – 2

Shots – 12

Shots on target – 5

Possession – 56%

Passing Accuracy – 87%

Key Passes – 8

Dribbles – 9

30-SECOND REPORT

PSG were slightly lucky with the way the game turned out, as Kimpembe could easily have been sent off before he scored the all-important opening goal in this game. That being said, Tuchel’s side looked the far better team on Tuesday.

The defence was resilient, the attacks were swift and decisive, and the finishes were clinical. PSG now have a two-goal lead to take home, and they’ve left Manchester United, one of Europe’s form sides, reeling.

TACTICAL TALKING POINT

3-4-2-1 Formation

Tuchel has been operating with an unorthodox 4-2-2-2 of late, but on Tuesday he reverted to type with a 3-4-2-1 formation that set up his team to play perfectly on the counterattack.

The formation freed Julian Draxler from his defensive responsibilities, as Tuchel trusted Marquinhos to play as a defensive midfielder.

As it turned out, Marquinhos played his role to perfection, with Draxler, Angel di Maria, and Kylian Mbappe free to wreak havoc on the counter.

VERDICT

At a club where recent managers have been judged on their effectiveness in Europe, Tuchel gave a good demonstration of why he should survive past his first season at PSG.

Reverting to the 3-4-2-1 formation that he has spent the better part of this season relying on was a masterstroke, as the counter-attacking skills of Mbappe, Di Maria, and Draxler came to the fore. The end result is that PSG hold a 2-0 lead going into the second leg, at home. A quarter-final place beckons.

RATING – 8/10