Marcus Rashford once again sank Paris Saint-Germain after netting the decisive goal in a 2-1 Champions League win in the French capital, while Barcelona sent a message with a thumping 5-1 victory over Ferencvaros.
Rashford, who scored the winning spot-kick when United knocked PSG out in 2019, drilled home a low shot three minutes from the end which won a thrilling Group H contest at a near-empty Parc des Princes.
United had taken the lead in the 23rd minute when Bruno Fernandes slotted home from the spot at the second attempt, but Anthony Martial inexplicably headed Neymar’s corner into his own net 10 minutes after the break.
Ronald Koeman got his first Champions League campaign as Barcelona coach off to a winning start with a confident win over Ferencvaros.
The Hungarians, the first team from their country to make the group stage in 11 years, started brightly and even had the ball in the net via Tokmac Nguen only for the powerful 12th-minute strike to be ruled out for offside.
Messi won and converted the penalty to give the Catalans a 27th-minute lead and the match was as good as done when Ansu Fati clipped home Frenkie de Jong’s sumptuous pass just before the break.
Red for Pique
Philippe Coutinho lashed home the third before Ihor Kharatin pulled one back from the penalty spot after Gerard Pique was sent off for pulling back Nguen as he charged towards goal.
Pique’s red card means he will miss next week’s game away at Juventus, a greater test of Barca’s capabilities.
Pedri and Ousmane Dembele finished the scoring for the 10-man host as it took control of Group G, finishing the opening round top but level on points with Juve.
Andrea Pirlo’s side looked comfortable in its 2-0 win at Dynamo Kiev in what was the Juve coach’s first ever Champions League match in the dugout, with Alvaro Morata scoring twice to take the points for the Italians.
Chelsea is still waiting for a £220 million spending spree to pay off as it began its campaign with an uninspiring 0-0 Group E draw with Sevilla at Stamford Bridge.
The results: Group E: Chelsea 0 drew with Sevilla 0; Rennes 1 (Guirassy 86-pen) drew with Krasnodar 1 (Ramirez 59).
Group F: Lazio (ITA) 3 (Immobile 6, Hitz 23-og, Akpa Akpro 76) bt Borussia Dortmund 1 (Haaland 71); Zenit St-Petersburg 1 (Horvath 74-og) lost to Club Brugge 2 (Bonaventure 63, De Ketelaere 90+3).
Group G: Barcelona 5 (Messi 27-pen, Fati 42, Coutinho 52, Pedri 82, Dembele 89) bt Ferencvaros 1 (Kharatin 70-pen); Dynamo Kiev 0 lost to Juventus 2 (Morata 46, 84).
Group H: Paris St-Germain 1 (Martial 55-og) lost to Manchester United 2 (Fernandes 23-pen, Rashford 87); RB Leipzig 2 (Angelino 16, 20) bt Istanbul Basaksehir 0.
