Playing under unseasonably cool Swedish temperatures, PSG quickly established a foothold in the contest, exploiting Manchester United’s early disorganization. Kvaratskhelia, Fernandez and Mbaye combined brilliantly to open the scoring in the second minute, a sequence that immediately silenced the away end. Kvaratskhelia nearly doubled the lead just sixty seconds later, but Heaton parried his effort, demonstrating PSG’s intent to avoid a repeat of their midweek humiliation in Mallorca.

Manchester United fight back despite personnel issues

United gradually regained control as the half progressed, though mounting injury concerns added complexity to Erik ten Hag’s adjustments. Mason Mount’s forced withdrawal after 19 minutes left his teammates to regroup, and Bryan Mbeumo became the most persistent threat, combining well with Amad Diallo. Mbeumo’s free kick was only partially cleared by Safonov in the 20th minute, and Diallo capitalized on a defensive error from Koukaba to level proceedings in the 32nd minute. Safonov then had to be at his best to deny Mbeumo from close range two minutes later.

PSG’s defensive line continued to show vulnerability, with Koukaba twice losing possession in dangerous areas. Diallo forced Safonov into a sharp save in the 42nd minute, and the Georgian goalkeeper remained PSG’s most reliable performer between the posts. Kvaratskhelia, meanwhile, continued to shine as United struggled to contain his direct running and creativity.

New faces and late drama

United’s second-half response was initially muted, but the introduction of young forward Alessandro Longoni, 18, brought welcome energy. Longoni’s introduction came after Safonov’s bold challenge on Joshua Zirkzee, an incident that drew vocal disapproval from the home crowd. Longoni handled the pressure with relative composure, though he was rarely truly tested.

Luis Enrique used the hour mark to introduce his Portuguese reinforcements—Nuno Mendes, Vitinha and João Mendes—alongside veteran captain Marquinhos. The quartet enjoyed just over thirty minutes of game time before the whistle, a preview of what lies ahead for the European Super Cup. Wednesday’s clash against Aston Villa marks PSG’s first competitive fixture of the new season, with every player eager to showcase their readiness following these pre-season tests.

Starting lineups

• PSG: Safonov (Longoni, 77) — Boly, Zabarnyi, Pacho (Marquinhos, 62), Koukaba (Mendes, 62) — Beraldo, Mayulu (cap) (Neves, 62), Fernandez (Vitinha, 62) — Mbaye, Ayari (Ndjantou, 46), Kvaratskhelia
• 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)