Fans Loved Axel Tuanzebe’s Worldclass Performance vs Mbappe & Neymar

PSG's Neymar during the match.

REUTERS/Charles Platiau

Manchester United’s win over PSG was quite an eventful affair. The 1-2 scoreline at the Parc des Princes does not do full justice to the entire spectacle that transpired.

Anthony Martial’s own goal was the sole consolation for the Ligue 1 side who were unable to respond to Bruno Fernandes’ early penalty and Marcus Rashford’s excellent late goal.

Likewise, the highly-rated frontline of the Parisians couldn’t penetrate United’s backline and one member of the defense has gotten a lot of the credit for it.

Axel Tuanzebe was a force to be reckoned with on Tuesday. The 22-year-old was in outstanding form and did a far better job at the back than anyone could have expected from someone who has been sidelined by injury for over 10 months.

His numbers alone were exceptional with the English centre-back notching a flawless aerial duels stat and a near-perfect passing. From a defensive perspective, his 7 clearances and 2 blocks were vital.

In particular, the academy graduate was paramount in frustrating Neymar Jr and Kylian Mbappe from doing any real damage despite their blistering pace and physicality.

Fans were heavily supportive of the youngster and stormed to Twitter to make their delight known.

 

Ole Gunnar Solskjær was likewise pleased with the player’s performance as he stated after the game: “Axel’s a tremendous defender, a great leader. He’s come through the Academy and we’ve known for years that he’s going to be a top player for us and he’s got the character and the attitude that a Man United player should have.”

With all that has been said and done as of recent about United’s defensive woes, such a performance from Tuanzebe now does make one wonder whether the transfer market should be looked at for a capable centre-back after all?