A LITTLE RED DEVIL finally gave Manchester United a glimpse of European heaven after so many dark days – 383 to be exact.
Amad Diallo at 5ft 8in was the smallest man on the pitch last night.
Manchester United welcome PAOK to Old Trafford for their fourth Europa League match of the season
The Greek outfit frustrated the Red Devils for the first half
Amad Diallo broke the deadlock in the 51st minute with a brilliant header
Amad Diallo was taken off the pitch and medical intervention was required after he kicked the grass in celebration
Put the pocket dynamo of footballing excellence was the one using his head to loop the ball into the far side of the net in the 50th minute.
Then in the 77th minute, the tenacity of the Ivory Coast international saw him wrestle the ball into his possession before he released a stunning drive for his second.
The 22-year-old is a star and he is only going to shine brighter and brighter as the years go on.
He decided this Europa League contest and gave Manchester United only their second victory in Europe in 12 games.
Before that, there was some exciting attacking play from Alejandro, Garnacho, 20, on the left as always, but even better was Diallo on the right.
The 22-year-old was in for Marcus Rashford who was benched and he was going to take his chance with some eye-catching play for incoming boss Ruben Amorim to enjoy from Lisbon.
He got an early whack from Abdul Baba but he will not be intimidated.
He had a penalty shout when he was bundled over by Baba who failed to win the ball. Despite a VAR check, there was no spot-kick given.
Amad was firing balls in from the right and when he found Rasmus Hojlund in the centre of the box his header was straight at the goalkeeper.
Diallo puts the work in too and when he sprinted from his flank to the left to block a clearance the crowd roared.
The two young wingers almost combined to break the deadlock when Garnacho raced to the byline to whip the ball across the face of the goal.
Diallo could just not reach it at the far post. United began the second half on the front foot.
Fernandes was running the show with his short and long-range passes.
It was his deep ball to the far post that was met by the jumping Diallo who nodded an arching ball through the sky, over the goalkeeper and in.
He may have been just trying to get it back across goal to Rasmus Hojlund, but let’s give him the benefit of the doubt.
Off he raced to the corner flag, kissing the United badge, while a VAR check took place.
Diallo bagged his and United’s second with a deflected strike in the 77th minute
Diallo proved to be a shining light in an otherwise drab night for the Red Devils
Incoming boss Ruben Amorim will no doubt be thrilled by Diallo’s performance
Nobody quite knew why, though, but it did give Diallo a second chance to celebrate when the referee confirmed the goal.
He could have had a second soon after.
With another searching ball, Fernandes picked out his run and after racing into the box his shot was well saved by goalkeeper Dominik Kotarski denying him with an outstretched leg.
Garnacho dragged the spotlight across the pitch to him when he went on a wriggling run through three players in the box before hitting the deck.
Again there were cries for a penalty again they were waved away.
With a slender lead, United still had to be careful and they were caught napping in the 64th minute for what should have been the PAOK equaliser.
Taison’s ball rolled unhindered past those in red and settled at the feet of Tarik Tissoudall.
There was nobody near him and in football terms, he had all the time in the world, but shot straight at Onana.
The Stretford End exhaled in relief as he and his colleagues held their heads in their hands.
When substitute Christian Eriksen sent a ball forward that PAOK’s Baba appeared to have under control, the sighs changed to roars.
However, Diallo was grabbing him by the heels, knocking him off the ball, stealing it, and then looping home from the outside of the field.
What a night for Diallo, what a goal.
