Manchester United got their first Europa League victory of the season, as they beat PAOK by two goals to nil on Thursday evening.
The excellent Amad Diallo scored both goals in the second half to secure all three points for his side.
United had 53% possession in comparison to PAOK’s 47% share of the ball. The Red Devils managed four shots on target from their total 16 cracks at goal.
PAOK on the other hand had eight total shots, with four of these requiring Andre Onana to intervene.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s men put together 520 passes with a completion rate of 84%. The Greek outfit strung 50 fewer passes with a success rate of 82%.
One of United’s better players against PAOK was Noussair Mazraoui. Since his arrival in the summer from Bayern Munich, Mazraoui has barely put a foot wrong and has grown from strength to strength at Old Trafford.
He produced a superb display on the left last week during the 1-1 draw against Chelsea and he didn’t disappoint when restored to the right tonight.
During the time he was on the pitch, the Moroccan managed an impressive 93% pass accuracy and won 83% of the ground duels he delved into.
Two of his passes were directed into the final third, highlighting his importance during attacking play.
He touched the ball 59 times.
Mazraoui made five ball recoveries. He attempted four tackles, winning all of them.
The 26-year-old was not dribbled past even once.
Noussair Mazraoui’s game by numbers vs. PAOK:
93% pass accuracy
83% ground duels won
59 total touches
5 ball recoveries
4 tackles attempted
4 tackles won
2 passes into the final third
2 clearances
0 goals conceded
0 x dispossessed
0 x dribbled pastMr. Consistent. 👏 pic.twitter.com/0oJ1kiJKCF
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) November 7, 2024
He also completed the one dribble he embarked on and successfully connected with all two long balls he tried to ping to his teammates.
(Additional stats obtained from Sofascore)
United’s next assignment will see them take on Leicester City on Sunday before breaking for the November international break.
Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images
Derick Kinoti
Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!
