Champions League: ‘He can be world class’ – Marcus Rashford shines again in Paris

The Parc des Princes is home to a speedy forward with designs on being the best player in the world, but not for the first time Kylian Mbappe was overshadowed by his opposite number as Manchester United picked up another famous win.

Nineteen months ago Marcus Rashford stepped up to score a last-minute penalty against Paris St-Germain and send Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side into the last eight of the Champions League.

This time it was only a group game but the result was the same – Rashford finding the far post to rattle in a wonderful 87th-minute winner and leave Mbappe frustrated again.

Solskjaer said after the game that Rashford and Mbappe were “both potentially top strikers for the next 10-15 years”, but how does Rashford measure up to France’s World Cup winner?

‘He can be world class’
At 21 Mbappe has already been the subject of a £165m transfer and is fast closing in on 100 goals for PSG.

He has won Ligue 1 four years in a row and has four other club medals under his belt – not to mention that World Cup win.

Rashford is 14 months older and not as prolific – though he has already reached 40 caps for England and has picked up an MBE.

“Marcus is a good footballer and he has quality,” said Solskjaer.

“He took his goal very well and he has developed to be a very good striker. Both players seem very humble and hard working. It’s nice to see them succeed.”

“Rashford can definitely be world class if he keeps improving,” former United captain Rio Ferdinand told BT Sport.

“He needs to add that poacher’s element to his game. When Wayne Rooney signed for United he scored outrageous goals, he didn’t score ugly goals. He became obsessed with scoring.

“Marcus scores fantastic goals and creates fantastic goals – if he can create that ugly side to the game then this kid can be unbelievable.

“The difference between Rashford and Mbappe is when Mbappe gets the ball I’m on the edge of my seat because he shapes up to go for goal. Marcus will have a look up and think about it a bit more.”

‘You might only get one chance’

Solskjaer said that this win in Paris lacked the “euphoria” of the last-16 victory from last year, with this match played behind closed doors because of coronavirus.

Bruno Fernandes put United ahead in familiar fashion from the penalty spot – retaken – before Anthony Martial misguided a header into his own net.

Mbappe’s best moment came when he chopped inside two challenges but saw David de Gea make a flying save to beat out his shot.

And Rashford then drilled in the winner with three minutes left after failing to make the most of a clear counter-attack minutes earlier.

“It’s a different feeling from the last time we won here, it’s at the start of the group stage but we’ve beaten a fantastic team,” Solskjaer said.

“Last time it was a knockout and it was euphoric, this is sterile without the fans but it’s still excellent and we deserved to win.”

“For me, they were both opportunities to win the game,” Rashford said.

“As a striker, in the game late on, that’s the mentality. You might only get one chance. It gets us the three points.”