Manchester United 2-0 PAOK: Amad Diallo's brace leads Red Devils to their first UEFA Europa League win of the season

Manchester United concluded their year-long pursuit of a European victory by defeating PAOK 2-0 at Old Trafford, thereby extending their unbeaten home streak against Greek teams to seven matches.

Entering the match, United was eager to secure their first European win of the season, with Ruud van Nistelrooy motivated to achieve this milestone before his interim tenure concludes this weekend.

The Greek side, however, created the first significant opportunity of the match. Andrija Zivkovic delivered a square pass to the edge of the box, where Mady Camara's shot took a deflection off Casemiro, nearly fooling André Onana, but Jonny Evans was present to clear the danger.

As the match progressed, United began to assert their dominance, controlling possession and generating several promising chances, though the final pass consistently fell short. Amad Diallo managed to send a ball into the box, but Ramus Hojlund's header was easily collected by Dominik Kotarski.

The home team continued to press until the half-time break, creating another opportunity through well-coordinated play involving Amad, Noussair Mazraoui, and Bruno Fernandes. Yet, the recurring issue for the hosts remained the quality of the final ball.

Whatever Van Nistelrooy communicated during the half-time interval evidently resonated with his players, as United found the net within five minutes of the second half. Fernandes delivered an enticing cross to the back post, which Amad headed in.

The goalscorer was eager to add to his tally and nearly did so after being set up by Fernandes, but his weak right-footed shot was saved by Kotarski's legs.

Following their initial chance, PAOK posed little threat, with Tarik Tissoudali missing a golden opportunity to equalize after being found unmarked in the box; his feeble attempt was comfortably stopped by Onana.

Amad, the standout player of the match, continued to be the most significant offensive threat for United. After demonstrating excellent defensive pressure, he successfully dispossessed Baba Rahman in his own half, then surged towards the penalty area and executed a precise shot into the corner of the net.

With a comfortable two-goal lead, United managed the final fifteen minutes with ease, securing a crucial victory at the halfway point of the UEL league phase.

The next challenge is against Leicester, marking Van Nistelrooy’s final match in charge, while Ruben Amorim will take the helm for United’s upcoming UEL fixture against Bodø/Glimt.

PAOK remains without a win in their four matches (D1, L3), with their next encounter scheduled against Latvia’s RFS.

SportsLigue