Less euphoria for Man United’s Solskjaer after road conquest over PSG

PARIS ( Reuters) – Manchester United triumphed at Paris Saint- Germain again, but Tuesday's Champions League victory was not as euphoric as the previous one, according to coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

United's previous trip to Paris in 2019 ended with Marcus Rashford scoring an injury- time penalty that secured qualification for the quarterfinals on away- goals, while Tuesday's 2- 1 win was just a stepping stone in Group H.

“It's a different feeling from the last time we won here, it's at the start of the group stage but we've beaten a fantastic team,” said Solskjaer after Rashford again netted the winner, three minutes from fulltime.

“Last time it was a knockout and it was euphoric, this is sterile without the fans but it's still excellent and we deserved to win.”

The game was played in an empty stadium amid the COVID- 19 crisis.

United next takes on RB Leipzig, which leads the group after beating Istanbul Basaksehir 2- 0.

“We know we need 10 points to get through so next week's game is very important. There are so many games,” Solskjaer said.

There was a lot on show to enjoy, however, as Rashford again played chief tormentor at the Parc des Princes.

“Of course it's a nice feeling. More importantly, we won the game. We're in a strong position now in the group but it's the first game. The concentration levels we showed today we have to take forward into the next game,” the striker said.

United also showed steel on defense, with Axel Tuanzebe making light work of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar in his first game in 10 months for the Premier League side.

For Rashford, the key was the concentration and poise shown by the team against last season's runner- up PSG.

“Every game requires different tactics and a different performance but what has to stay the same is the intensity,” he said.

“The intensity was key for us tonight. We kept going for 90 minutes.”

Lampard: Chelsea’s clean sheet a big deal

Meanwhile, Chelsea's defense has come under intense scrutiny this season, but manager Frank Lampard was smiling after a goalless stalemate against Sevilla.

It was the first 0- 0 draw for Chelsea since Lampard took charge before last season and while the game will not stay long in the memory it was satisfying all the same for the club's former midfielder and record goalscorer.

Europa League winners Sevilla are a canny team full of experienced performers in Europe but they were restricted to six shots on goal, the same amount Chelsea managed.

After the frenetic nature of the 3- 3 draw with Southampton in the Premier League, vastly- experienced defender Thiago Silva and ' keeper Edouard Mendy were calming influences.

“It's a positive result. I understood the need to get a result in the first game of the group,” said Lampard. “They're a really good team, it was an interesting game and I'm happy with the 0- 0; it was a big deal to get a clean sheet.”

Before Tuesday, Lampard had been in charge for 62 games and in that time Chelsea had kept only 15 clean sheets, conceding 99 goals.

Sweet 16 for Messi as Barcelona thumps Ferencvaros in opener

Elsewhere, Lionel Messi became the first player to score in 16 consecutive Champions League seasons as he guided 10- man Barcelona to a 5- 1 victory over Hungarian side Ferencvaros in their Group G opener at the Camp Nou.

Messi netted from the penalty spot in the first half for his 116th career goal in the competition, before the lively Ansu Fati added a second.

Philippe Coutinho grabbed another goal early in the second half, but Barca defender Gerard Pique was dismissed for impeding Tokmac Nguen, leading to a penalty for the visitors that was converted by Igor Kharatin.

Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman lamented the red card for Pique, which will keep the experienced defender out of next week's trip to Juventus. Koeman felt that, with the spot kick awarded, a yellow card would have been a more suitable punishment.

"The penalty and the red card is very bad for us but we are getting used to playing with one less," a rueful Koeman told reporters. "It happened at Celta Vigo [ on October 1] and again today.

“It's too harsh a punishment. If it's foul, it's a penalty and a yellow card. I don't understand why the referee produced the red card. But we have to accept it.”

Any thoughts of a dramatic comeback were quashed though as 17- year- old Pedri netted his first Barca goal after arriving from second- tier Las Palmas at the start of the season, and Ousmane Dembele added the fifth late on.

The Catalan side move above Juventus on goal difference at the top of the table after the Italian champion won 2- 0 away at Dynamo Kiev earlier on Tuesday. The pair meet in Turin on October 28.