Red Devils can do it
Solskjaer elated after PSG stunner
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said his side can go all the way in the Champions League after Marcus Rashford’s dramatic stoppage-time penalty gave them a stunning 3-1 win away to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday as they reached the quarterfinals on away goals.
A seriously depleted United looked to have given themselves too much to do after losing 2-0 in the first leg of their last-16 tie in February, yet a Romelu Lukaku brace in the first half at the Parc des Princes gave them hope.
Even so, Juan Bernat had netted in between for PSG, and it looked as though the French side would stumble on until the drama at the death.
Slovenian referee Damir Skomina awarded a spot kick after reviewing the images when he was alerted of a possible handball by PSG defender Presnel Kimpembe in the box.
Rashford beat Gianluigi Buffon from 12 yards, as United won a European tie after losing the first leg at home for the first time in their history.
“We always believed, that’s the thing,” Solskjaer said.
“The plan was to get the first goal, be in the game with five or 10 minutes to go, and we were.”
Their improbable victory – following Ajax’s similarly stunning turnaround against holders Real Madrid a day earlier – takes them into the last eight for the first time since 2014.
“Of course we fancy ourselves. We can go all the way, but we just have to wait for the draw and then take the game as it comes,” Solskjaer said.
The Norwegian has now overseen nine consecutive away wins, a club record.
“We have had loads of injur- ies and suspensions but that was maybe a good thing today because we had a fresh team, and loads of energy.”
While United celebrate, for PSG and their Qatari owners this defeat will feel like groundhog day.
For the third year running, they failed to make the quarterfinals, after their defeat to Real Madrid a year ago and their humiliating collapse against Barcelona in 2017.
Electric at Old Trafford in the first leg, Kylian Mbappe was poor and Neymar was watching from the stands as he recovers from injury.
“If it were a league game you would wipe your mouth and go on, but today it’s horrible and cruel,” coach Thomas Tuchel said.
“It happens once in 100 games. We did not deserve to go out over 180 minutes.”
However, the German refused to say the officials had got the late penalty call wrong.
“I think it’s a 50-50 decision. What makes it super hard is that I had the clear feeling that the shot was not on target.”
United were missing Paul Pogba through suspension and nine more players were sidelined due to fitness problems.
Despite that, they achieved one of their greatest European results.
Solskjaer was on the bench that night, and the Norwegian watched from the sideline on Wednesday as his side went in front inside two minutes.
A dreadful back-pass attempt by PSG defender Thilo Kehrer fell to Lukaku, who rounded Buffon and scored.
The hosts equalised in the 12th minute when Mbappe squared for Bernat.
However, the visitors were gifted another goal half an hour in when Rashford tried a shot straight at Buffon.
Yet the veteran Italian spilled the ball, and Lukaku followed in to score his sixth goal in three games.
PSG were wobbling again at the business end of the Champions League, yet it still looked as though they would hang on.
But then VAR intervened, and Rashford sent United into ecstasy. –