VERDICT: Manchester United shown levels by PSG on tough European night

 

Paris Saint-Germain served Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United with a huge reality check after leaving Old Trafford with a relatively straightforward 2-0 victory on Tuesday night.

 

It marked the first time in United’s history that they have lost a home European match by more than a one-goal margin and now leaves the Red Devils with a mountain to climb to reach the quarter-finals.

 

United were planning to use their pace in forward areas to hurt PSG on the counter, as they have done to the likes of Arsenal, Fulham and Tottenham in the last month, but those plans went out of the window at half-time.

 

Solskjaer lost Jesse Lingard to injury prior to the break and Anthony Martial was forced off during the interval. Their replacements, Alexis Sanchez and Juan Mata, respectively, simply do not offer the same explosiveness in attack and both struggled to have any influence, especially the Chilean, who endured another torrid night in a United shirt.

 

Even without Neymar and Edinson Cavani, who are also expected to miss the second leg, United failed to lay a glove on their opponents. United only registered one shot on target, their lowest total in a Champions League home match since February 2005 (vs AC Milan).

 

Marcus Rashford’s speculative effort from an almost impossible angle drew Gianluigi Buffon into a comfortable save. That was in the eighth minute. United didn’t test the 41-year-old veteran after that and the United No.10 was marshalled out of the game by Thiago Silva.

 

United went into Tuesday’s match with huge optimism. With Paul Pogba at the peak of his powers, combining with Rashford and Martial, United were expected to really trouble a depleted PSG side.

 

Pogba started the match with real promise. His surging run into PSG’s penalty box in the opening minutes offered a blueprint for future success but that was the last United saw of the Frenchman in a positive sense.

 

The 25-year-old was booked after 26 minutes and had Dani Alves to thank for not picking up a second yellow card before half-time. Pogba would not be so fortunate in the 89th-minute when Daniele Orsato showed the Frenchman his marching orders for a reckless challenge on the 35-year-old.

 

The Italian referee set the tone in the match by brandishing five yellow cards in the opening 34 minutes and United will argue Presnel Kimpembe, who went on to score PSG’s opener, should have been sent off for a second yellow. The 23-year-old committed the exact same foul as Ashley Young, who was booked for taking down Kylian Mbappe.

 

 

Solskjaer was right not to use that, or the fact they lost Lingard and Martial to injury, as an excuse after the match. United were simply outclassed and outmanoeuvred by a better opponent. Solskjaer was unbeaten in his first 11 matches as interim manager, which included 10 wins, but his first defeat offers a timely reminder of how far United have dropped behind their European rivals. Worryingly, PSG did not even come out of third gear.

 

Eric Bailly was selected over Phil Jones to partner Victor Lindelof in defence in order to utilise his speed to counter Mbappe, but it only highlighted why United are chasing a genuine world-class centre-back this summer. Bailly’s presence did nothing to prevent Mbappe from stretching his legs, which was particularly evident when the 20-year-old sped through United’s defenders to slide in PSG’s second of the night. 

 

Marco Verratti, Marquinhos and Angel Di Maria were also notable performers for the French giants. The former turned in a midfield masterclass despite not being fully fit, attempting more passes (75) than any other player on the pitch despite being forced off with 15 minutes remaining.

 

Marquinhos, meanwhile, stationed alongside Verratti in midfield, man-marked Pogba out of the game and showed great composure, often carrying the ball out and splitting United's midfield with incisive passing.

 

After overcoming a difficult first half, Di Maria proved decisive on his first return to Old Trafford since leaving United in 2015. The Argentina international was booed and clattered into the advertising hoardings by former team-mate Ashley Young, but supplied assists for both of PSG’s goals. He finished the match as the WhoScored Man of the Match.

 

All is not lost at the Parc des Princes. PSG have blown bigger advantages in the Champions League after all. The Ligue 1 giants bottled a 4-0 first leg lead over Barcelona in 2017 to lose 6-5 on aggregate. Barcelona produced the greatest comeback in European history on that occasion, though, unlike United, they had home comforts in the return leg.

 

The priority for Solskjaer now is how United recover. The defeat to PSG won’t define whether he gets the job on a full-time basis but the next month of results will. United face Chelsea and Liverpool next and have games against PSG, Manchester City and Arsenal in their next seven.

VERDICT: Manchester United shown levels by PSG on tough European night