Fred produced a “breakthrough” performance and proved why Manchester United signed him in Wednesday’s 3-1 win at Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League, according to manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The Brazilian, who has struggled for game time all season since moving to United from Shakhtar Donetsk for £52 million, was paired with Scott McTominay in the middle of the park against PSG as Solskjaer was forced to put out a makeshift side due to multiple absentees.
The Red Devils overturned the 2-0 defeat from the first leg of their last-16 tie to book their spot in the quarter-finals thanks to Marcus Rashford’s late penalty.
Romelu Lukaku had scored a first-half double to give United hope, but they still needed a third at the death to qualify as Juan Bernat got the hosts a goal in the 12th minute
Fred and McTominay were two of United’s standout players on a remarkable night as they went toe to toe with Marquinhos and Marco Verratti, who had bossed United’s midfield in the first leg at Old Trafford.
Solskjaer praised the pair after the match, and he particularly singled out Fred’s performance, per Sky Sports:
“They did a fantastic job, screening in front of their high midfielders, putting pressure on Verratti and Marquinhos. They were excellent.
“Fred, that was probably his breakthrough for us as well. You can see why we signed him. He’s got the mentality of a Brazilian international. He is a Brazilian international. He gets on the ball, no fear, no doubt whatsoever.
“We played a system today that he used to play at Shakhtar, and that’s why we signed him.“