Player Ratings | PSG 3-1 Manchester United (4-2 aggregate) – Martens double fires Les Parisiennes to CL group stage

Paris Saint-Germain book their place at the group stage of the Women’s Champions League after securing a convincing 3-1 win over Manchester United at the Parc des Princes. Around 11,000 fans were in attendance, including the home side’s ultras, as a double from Lieke Martens and a strike from Sandy Baltimore secure a 4-2 aggregate win over the Red Devils. 

The first half was a rather even affair between the two sides, with an early golden opportunity for PSG to take the lead as striker Chawinga rounded Mary Earps but couldn’t convert past a back-tracking Turner with a weak strike. United grew into the game, but it was PSG who took the lead on the 16th minute as Lieke Martens collected the ball on a rebounded strike from Chawinga to fire past Earps with a controlled finish. 

PSG then began to dominate the chances, but the English side forayed forward on occaison, with Ella Toone and the pace of Geyse providing useful. The Red Devils couldn’t make the most of their chances, with Toone squandering a golden opportunity to equalise just before half-time after being sent one-on-one against the Kiedrzynek. 

The away side came out for the second half with a renewed urgency, and it got themselves back into the game with an early goal through Naalsund, who finished low after Geyse darted down the right side and delivered a pinpoint low cross. The English side managed to rally themselves, yet perhaps it was their eagerness that became their undoing, as Les Parisiennes found the back of the net only a minute later with Martens slotting home through Earps’ legs after an effective counter-attack led by Chawinga down the left side. 

It went from bad to worse for Earps, as Sandy Baltimore found space down the right side, and floated a deft