PSV Eindhoven vs. Manchester United: Winners and Losers from Champions League
PSV Eindhoven announced their return to the UEFA Champions League group stage with a 2-1 victory over Manchester United on Tuesday at the Philips Stadion.
United drew first blood in the 41st minute through former PSV man Memphis Depay, but the hosts leveled the contest before half-time with the head of Hector Moreno.
Luciano Narsingh put PSV ahead in the 57th minute when he drifted free from the United defense in the box and knocked in a Maxime Lestienne cross.
Not only did United suffer a blow in the Group B table, but they went back to Manchester without a healthy Luke Shaw, who was stretchered off in the first half.
Here's a look at our winners and losers from PSV's surprising win over United in the Champions League.
Winner: Maxime Lestienne
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Belgian winger Maxime Lestienne played a key role in setting up both PSV goals on Tuesday night.
In first-half stoppage time, the on-loan player from Al-Arabi in Qatar played his corner kick from the left flag onto the head of Hector Moreno, who deflected his shot off the head of Daley Blind and into the back of the net.
In the 57th minute, Lestienne broke free on the counter and delivered a perfect ball to the head of Luciano Narsingh, who easily finished the game-winning goal.
'We looked at videos, we knew their full backs would push forward a lot, so we could hit them on the counter," Narsingh said on Dutch television after the match, via Dutch football writer Elko Born.
Not only was Lestienne a constant threat on offense, but he also tracked back on a few occasions and stopped some United attacks in the first half.
Getting out of the group stage will not be an easy task for any of the four sides in Group B, but if Lestienne plays like he did on Tuesday, PSV's route to the knockout round may be easier.
Loser: Luke Shaw
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United suffered a massive blow in the 17th minute when Luke Shaw tumbled to the pitch in pain following a surge forward into the penalty area from the left wing.
Shaw did a good job of finding space and exploiting it on his run but paid the price when Hector Moreno slid in and took the ball off his feet.
The ugly scenes after the tackle resulted in an extensive delay as Shaw was taken off on a stretcher with an aircast on his leg. After the match, the team confirmed on Twitter that Shaw suffered a double leg fracture.
With Shaw out for a long period of time, United will have to tap further into their reserves at the full-back position. That could mean a switch to left-back for Daley Blind and more playing time for Marcos Rojo. Another potential situation would see Antonio Valencia or Ashley Young move back on the pitch.
Winner: Hector Moreno
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Moreno's challenge on Shaw was a clean one, but unfortunately it ended in a major injury to the United left-back.
The Mexico international was clearly shaken up by the result of the tackle but was able to clear it from his mind and turn in a stellar performance for the hosts.
Moreno equalized the contest at one goal apiece in first-half stoppage time when he found space to connect with Lestienne's corner.
However, his most impressive contribution came in front of his own goal, as he slowed down Anthony Martial for the majority of the match. The 19-year-old Frenchman followed up his strong debut against Liverpool with just one shot on goal against PSV.
Loser: Juan Mata
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Juan Mata disappointed with his first touch in the box throughout his 90-minute shift in Eindhoven.
The Spaniard played an active role in setting up plenty of moves forward by United, but it looked like his nerves caught up with him once he stepped inside the penalty area.
The best example of this came in the 61st minute, when he played a nice one-two with Bastian Schweinsteiger that opened up space for him to shoot on the right side of the box. Instead of shooting or passing into the middle of the area, Mata took a sloppy touch, and the ball rolled out of play.
Mata was supposed to provide the United attack with veteran leadership among a group of fresh faces but instead displayed the nerves we expect from one's debut on the continental stage.
Winner: Luciano Narsingh
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It took Luciano Narsingh a few tries to perfect his surging run into the box, but he finally got it right in the 57th minute before netting the game-winner.
Narsingh attempted to sneak past the United defense on a few occasions in the first half, but each time he tried to break free in front of goal, he was whistled for offside.
All the miscues made by Narsingh in the first half were erased when his 57th-minute shot struck the back of the net.
Thanks to Narsingh's clutch second-half strike, PSV are in great position in Group B with a trip to CSKA Moscow ahead on September 30.
Loser: Louis van Gaal
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Three days after beating Liverpool in a key Premier League match, Louis van Gaal was left with plenty of questions to answer following the loss to PSV.
With his side searching for an equalizer in the second half, Van Gaal could only bring in Marouane Fellaini as an added goal threat next to Anthony Martial. Fellaini failed to make an impact on the game in 16 minutes.
On top of his forward conundrum with Wayne Rooney out injured, Van Gaal now faces a shortage at left-back with Shaw out for the season. He does have some depth there, but Blind, Young and Valencia aren't exactly the most ideal players to plug in on the left flank of defense.
Van Gaal also raised eyebrows with his midfield selection on Tuesday, as Schweinsteiger and Ander Herrera started in central-midfield roles instead of Michael Carrick and Morgan Schneiderlin. Neither starting central player got into a rhythm, which affected the flow of the United attack.
The good news for Van Gaal is that he has a little bit of time to fine-tune his squad before Wolfsburg travel to Old Trafford on September 30. If United somehow lose to the German side at home, the pressure will further increase on the manager.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
All statistics obtained from WhoScored.com.
