Paris Saint Germain secured an important first leg victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford in their Champions League last 16 tie. The French giants also got two important away goals from Presnel Kimpembe and Kylian Mbappe while keeping a clean sheet. The Red Devils are in a battle for top four place in the Premier League but seem to be heading out of the Champions League.
Manchester United’s last-16 second-leg Champions League tie at Paris St-Germain on Wednesday is not “mission impossible”, says interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Manchester United lost the home leg 2-0 and will need to make history to progress. No club has ever advanced in the knockout phase after losing at home by two or more goals in the first leg.
“Goals always change games. We’ve got to get the first goal and then anything can happen,” Solskjaer said. “Football is a technical and tactical game but it’s also a mental game. If we get the first one we would start believing more and then they might start doubting themselves. “It’s never mission impossible. It’s just more difficult. Everyone knows we can do it. In the Champions League in the last few years there have been so many examples of teams that can change results like this.”
Manchester United have won 13 out their 16 fixtures in all competitions since Solskjaer took charge in December. However, despite domestic victories away at Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea, United’s last away win in the knock-out phase of the Champions League was in April 2011 against Schalke. “When nobody believes in you there is always that bit of character in yourself that you want to show,” Solskjaer added. “Making history is not the motivation. The motivation is going through. These players aren’t used to losing.”
Solskjaer’s side also go into the second leg in Paris with the suspended Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez among 10 first-team absentees. Sanchez will be missing for four to six weeks after going off injured in the 3-2 win over Southampton on Saturday. Defender Phil Jones is out with illness, while Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata, Ander Herrera, Nemanja Matic and Matteo Darmian are all injured and not among the 20-man squad that traveled to France.Teenagers Tahith Chong, James Garner, Angel Gomes, Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams have been included.