Manchester United defeated Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 in a Women's Champions League match at Old Trafford on Wednesday, with Fridolina Rolfö's header proving to be the decisive goal. The match marked Mary Earps' return to Manchester United after leaving the club 501 days prior, and she was met with boos from a portion of the crowd.
Despite the hostile reception for Earps, the game was closely contested. PSG started strongly, with Jennifer Echegini hitting the post early on. However, Manchester United grew into the game, and Melvine Malard opened the scoring in the 31st minute with a fine curling effort, shrugging off Griedge Mbock before dispatching the shot past Earps.
PSG responded just before halftime, with Olga Carmona scoring a stunning goal from long range. Carmona's shot found the top corner, leaving United's stand-in goalkeeper, Safia Middleton-Patel, with no chance.
Early in the second half, PSG again struck the post through Anais Ebayilin, before United capitalized on their reprieve. In the 58th minute, a flowing move involving Jess Park culminated in Rolfö heading home from a Sandberg cross, giving Earps no chance.
Manchester United managed to hold on to their lead, securing a 2-1 victory. According to FotMob, Manchester United have won all three of their matches in the Women's Champions League proper, making them the only team in the competition's history to retain a 100% win ratio. Despite the win, United's manager, Marc Skinner, acknowledged that his team was somewhat fortunate, as PSG had more shots and a higher expected goals (xG) value.
The match was more than just a game; it was a narrative of returns, rivalries, and resilience. Earps, who claimed in her book that Sarina Wiegman had rewarded the Chelsea goalkeeper's previous “bad behaviour” with England, faced jeers that seemed fueled by pro-Hampton sympathizers or United partisans. Skinner, when asked about the booing towards Earps, said, "Look after yourself. She's an intelligent person – she understands the world she's in". He also added that this will all “blow over” soon for her due to the ever-fast-moving news cycle.
