PSG showed United another level: Ole
Enough with the scare stories, says Mbappe
MANCHESTER, England, Feb 13, (RTRS): For around 20 minutes, the Champions League glory days really did feel like they were back for Manchester United.
The capacity 74,000 crowd at Old Trafford was in full voice, United were attacking Paris St Germain down the flanks with speed and aggression and their opponents looked shaky.
That feeling lasted until the French champions began to get a grip on the game and by the end of the night, a 2-0 defeat in the last 16, first-leg clash served to highlight the gulf that remains between this United team and the European elite.
“That’s the level we want to get to” United’s caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told reporters. “We’ve been talking about top four (in the Premier League), that’s one thing but we want to be at the top and Man United should be at the top.
“This is a top, top team we played against. Our players today, are disappointed, of course, but I also think they know we need to step up our level to get to the level we want to get to,” added the Norwegian after suffering his first defeat since taking over 12 games ago in December.
United lost forwards Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard to muscle injuries midway through the match and replacements Alexis Sanchez and Juan Mata failed to provide the necessary spark.
PSG had to cope without the injured Neymar and Edinson Cavani, two thirds of their attack, yet remained a real threat in the final third with Julian Draxler and Angel Di Maria causing United problems.
That is the kind of strength in depth United will need to build if they are to return to being the kind of force in Europe that they were under Alex Ferguson.
“It’s a reality check, you can see the strength they have when they put those players in as you talk about but that’s the level we want to get to,” added Solskjaer.
“And we are looking to strengthen the squad and then again we have so many young players to take a step up for next season.” The Norwegian insisted, however, that his first loss won’t wreck the momentum United have built up in the Premier League.
“No, not at all because at this club we have to bounce back and we are in a tournament, the Champions League, where it’s always going to be difficult, but our bread and butter is the (domestic) league so (I’m) not afraid of that.
“The reaction in the dressing room was disappointment and when we go to Paris we’ll give it a go. It is a difficult mountain to climb but not impossible”.
Only once since the 2010-11 season have United won a Champions League knockout stage game and, with key midfielder Paul Pogba suspended after his late red card, the odds are stacked against that changing in Paris on March 6.
Paris St Germain must not fret over the absences of key players like Neymar and Edinson Cavani as their win at Manchester United proved they can succeed without them, forward Kylian Mbappe has said.
Neymar and Cavani, who have scored a combined 41 goals this season, are sidelined with foot and hip muscle injuries and did not make the trip to Old Trafford for the first leg.
Despite their depleted ranks, PSG ran out worthy winners and United lost by more than one goal in a home European tie for the first time.
“We need to stop with the scare stories. People need to stop being afraid,” Mbappe told French media outlet RMC Sport, adding that while Neymar and Cavani were important it was what PSG did with the players on the pitch that mattered most.
“We’re happy, but it’s only halftime in the tie and we need to continue preparing well, because I think in the last 20 minutes we dropped off a bit physically.” The second leg in Paris is on March 6.
Paris St Germain forward Angel Di Maria was spurred on by the hostile crowd at Manchester United on Tuesday, the French club’s manager Thomas Tuchel said.
Di Maria was United’s record signing in 2014 when he was bought for 59.7 million pounds ($77.04 million) but an underwhelming debut season under then-manager Louis Van Gaal led to the Argentina international’s departure to PSG a year later.
In the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday, the 30-year-old was booed by fans and had a beer bottle thrown in his direction but he had the last laugh by having a hand in both PSG goals in a 2-0 win.
“He had a hard time in the first half, the guy is very competitive. If you tease him, it does not make him weaker,” Tuchel told reporters.
“I thought he had a good relationship with the fans.
He was a bit nervous and needed to be calmer in the first half. In the end he did well.”
Paris Saint Germain’s Presnel Kimpembe celebrates after scoring the opening goal of the game during the Champions League round of 16 soccer match between Manchester United and Paris Saint Germain at Old
Trafford stadium in Manchester, England on Feb 12. (AP)