By Amad Diallo struck twice in the second half to guide Manchester United to a crucial 2-0 victory over Greek champions PAOK on Thursday, securing their first European win this season and strengthening their position for incoming manager Ruben Amorim’s pursuit of a top-eight finish.
The Ivorian forward broke the deadlock five minutes after halftime with a looping header from Bruno Fernandes’ cross that floated beyond goalkeeper Dominik Kotarski. He sealed the result in the 77th minute, winning possession from Abdul Rahman Baba before curling home from the edge of the area.
The victory marked only United’s second win in their last 12 European fixtures and their first in this season’s expanded Europa League campaign following three consecutive draws. PAOK’s best opportunity fell to Tarik Tissoudali, who failed to convert from close range with only goalkeeper Andre Onana to beat. Onana had earlier produced an acrobatic save to deny Mady Camara during a tepid first half.
The result provides a foundation for Amorim, who will take charge for the home fixture against Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in three weeks. The Portuguese manager, fresh from orchestrating Sporting’s stunning Champions League victory over Manchester City this week, inherits a squad seeking to secure automatic qualification for the last-16 by finishing in the top eight of the expanded 36-team competition.
Diallo’s performance stood out on an otherwise unremarkable evening at Old Trafford. The diminutive forward earned praise from captain Fernandes for his persistence, contrasting with the Portuguese midfielder’s visible frustration toward teammate Alejandro Garnacho’s decision-making.
United’s striker Rasmus Hojlund continued to search for his scoring touch, managing only a tame first-half header straight at Kotarski. The result nonetheless vindicated interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy’s brief tenure, with two wins and a draw from three matches since replacing Erik ten Hag.
United face a demanding schedule ahead, with potential fixtures against Czech side Viktoria Plzen, Romania’s FCSB, and Scotland’s Rangers determining their European fate. Qualification for the last-16 would provide Amorim valuable preparation time during what could be an intense period of seven midweek matches in eight weeks, should United progress in their EFL Cup quarter-final against Tottenham.
