Paul Pogba pulled the strings from the middle and steered Didier Deschamps men to a 3:1 victory over hosts of the upcoming World Cup - Russia. The 26-year-old former Juventus man, first, provided a cheeky assist for Kylian Mbappe to get the visitor's opener before scoring an absolute beauty of a free-kick nine minutes later from long range.
Paul Pogba has scored his first goal for club or country since 11th November 2017; ending a run of 21 games without one.
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) March 27, 2018
That's not a bad way to do it. pic.twitter.com/m6ihKVfsIl
The player then celebrated his strike by dedicating it to his deceased father who would have turned 80. The inscription on his shirt translates to English as follows:
"Happy birthday, dad. May Allah show you mercy."
Happy birthday Dad, merci for watching over me and my brothers @equipedefrance great win team! pic.twitter.com/VRHPMI7PPp
— Paul Pogba (@paulpogba) March 27, 2018
Raves about Pogba putting in a great shift have made rounds on social media, with some fans making an honorable plea to Jose Mourinho as the resumption of the domestic season nears. Many criticised the Portuguese manager for the manner in which he deployed the Frenchman in the Man United set up and suggested fixes for him as well. Check below for some of the best tweets:
The one week Pogba isn’t stifled by defensive tactics from Mourinho he creates an assist and scores a stunning goal. Tells you all you need to know whether it’s the player or manager.... #mufc
— Hesham Bilal-Hafiz (@hesham786) March 27, 2018
Mourinho didn’t even see the Pogba strike. Too busy getting himself to Hungary to assess McTominay’s discipline levels.
— RG (@registability) March 27, 2018
I can not believe my club plays Paul Pogba as a defensive midfielder. It’s actually a disgusting crime against the sport of football. I feel sick.
— The Man Utd Way (@TheManUtdWay) March 27, 2018
Mourinho didn’t see that Pogba pass. He’s watching McTominay best side & back passes on Vimeo in his living room.
— Simeon (@sjftbl) March 27, 2018
So happy to see Pogba playing like we know he can :)
— Sadikshya (@Sadikshya_) March 27, 2018