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PSG vs Manchester United: Preview, team news, possible lineups and prediction
08th August, 2026 10:21 AM
Manchester United will step up their preparations for the 2026-27 season when they face European champions Paris Saint-Germain in an eye-catching pre-season friendly on Saturday, August 8, 2026 at the NYA Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg, Sweden.
The Red Devils head into the encounter in confident mood after securing a 2-1 comeback victory against Atletico Madrid in the Snapdragon Cup.
PSG, on the other hand, will be looking to respond after suffering a surprise 3-0 defeat against Mallorca in their opening friendly of the summer.
PSG looking to bounce back
Paris Saint-Germain endured a difficult start to their pre-season campaign as they were comfortably beaten 3-0 by Mallorca on Wednesday.
The French champions were heavily affected by the absence of several players who were involved in the 2026 World Cup, leaving Luis Enrique with a significantly weakened squad.
There is better news ahead of the meeting with Manchester United, however, with Vitinha, Joao Neves, Nuno Mendes and Marquinhos among those who have returned to training and could feature.
PSG have scheduled just two friendlies during their preparations, meaning the Manchester United game will be their final warm-up match before competitive action begins.
Their first major test will come against Aston Villa in the UEFA Super Cup on August 12, followed by the French Super Cup meeting with Lens four days later.
The European champions will then begin their Ligue 1 campaign on August 23 against Rennes.
Having already won back-to-back Champions League titles, PSG will be aiming to maintain their dominance both domestically and in Europe.
The club have been relatively quiet in the transfer market so far, with teenage goalkeeper Alessandro Longoni arriving from AC Milan as their only major addition. Goncalo Ramos, Randal Kolo Muani and Lee Kang-in are among the players who have departed.
Manchester United building momentum
Manchester United have enjoyed a more encouraging pre-season so far.
Michael Carrick’s men began their preparations with a narrow 1-0 defeat against Wrexham, but quickly recovered by thrashing Rosenborg 5-0.
They followed that result with another impressive performance against Atletico Madrid, coming from behind to win 2-1 in the Snapdragon Cup.
Bryan Mbeumo was the standout performer, scoring both of United’s goals as the 20-time English champions secured another confidence-boosting victory.
United will now attempt to make it three consecutive wins before their remaining pre-season fixtures against Leeds United and AC Milan.
Their competitive campaign gets underway on August 22, when they host Hull City in their opening Premier League fixture.
The Red Devils have already added Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Karl Darlow to their first-team squad this summer, although further recruitment is expected before the transfer window closes.
After finishing third in the Premier League last season, United face the added challenge of competing in the Champions League this term.
Team news
PSG could welcome back several important players for the Manchester United clash.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia featured against Mallorca after Georgia failed to qualify for the World Cup, but a number of first-team stars were unavailable.
Achraf Hakimi, Ousmane Dembele, Fabian Ruiz, Lucas Hernandez, Bradley Barcola, Desire Doue and Warren Zaire-Emery remain unavailable for this fixture.
Vitinha, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves and Marquinhos have returned to the squad and could be given playing time.
Manchester United continue to be without Kobbie Mainoo, Lisandro Martinez and Marcus Rashford, who were involved deep into the World Cup.
Benjamin Sesko also remains sidelined with a shin problem.
Meanwhile, Tielemans, Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui have rejoined the travelling squad.
Matheus Cunha and goalkeeper Senne Lammens have stayed behind at Carrington while recovering from illness.
Predicted lineups
Paris Saint-Germain:
Safonov; Boly, Zabarnyi, Pacho, Lucea; Vitinha, Beraldo, Dro; Mbaye, Ndjantou, Kvaratskhelia.
Manchester United:
Heaton; Yoro, Maguire, Heaven, Shaw; Tielemans, Mount; Amad, Fernandes, Dorgu; Mbeumo.
Prediction: PSG 1-2 Manchester United
PSG’s continued absence of several established stars could make this another challenging outing for the French side.
Manchester United appear to have built stronger momentum throughout pre-season and have already shown their ability to respond positively after setbacks.
With Mbeumo in good form and several key players returning to the squad, United could edge another high-profile friendly and make it three victories in succession.
