Manchester United’s Champions League campaign is hanging in the balance as two goals from Neymar helped Paris St-Germain secure victory at Old Trafford.
Marcus Rashford had cancelled out the Brazilian’s early opener with his third goal in four games against the French outfit.
But Marquinos’ excellent second-half finish put the visitors back in front and after United midfielder Fred had been sent off for a foul on Ander Herrera, Neymar tapped home his 38th Champions League goal.
The result leaves United level with PSG and RB Leipzig on nine points in Group H and knowing they need a draw away to the German side next Tuesday to progress to the last 16.
Rashford pain, Neymar gain for PSG
In the build-up to the game, PSG boss Thomas Tuchel admitted Rashford had become “a little bit annoying”.
The sentiment was perfectly understandable given two seasons ago the England forward scored the injury-time penalty that knocked PSG out even though they had won the first leg of their last-16 tie 2-0 at Old Trafford.
Rashford was also responsible for United’s 87th-minute winner in the French capital on matchday one.
So it is fair to assume Tuchel’s view only hardened when Rashford’s shot – after Kaylor Navas had pushed away an Anthony Martial effort – completely wrong-footed the keeper and ended up in the bottom corner.
The goal equalised Neymar’s well-taken sixth-minute effort and took Rashford’s tally in this season’s competition to six, level with the likes of Erling Haaland and former United team-mate Romelu Lukaku.
Had Martial not blazed over when presented with an open goal when the second half was still in its infancy, or had he finished off the rebound when Edinson Cavani’s delicate chip came back off the crossbar, rather than blast it into Marquinos, PSG might have had the life sucked out of them.
As it was, they were the ones building up a head of steam when Ander Herrera’s off-target shot was turned into Marquinos’ path to put them back in front.
United did push for an equaliser and substitute Paul Pogba came close when he volleyed over from the edge of the area but, with an extra man, PSG always had the edge and after Kylian Mbappe had fired wide, Neymar finished the hosts off.
With 38 goals he is now two behind Sergio Aguero, who is the second highest South American goalscorer in the competition.
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