Devils out to haunt weak PSG
Solskjaer: We must take game to rivals
LONDON: Manchester United will not sit back when Paris Saint-Germain visit Old Trafford for the first leg of their last 16 Champions League meeting today, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said.
United are unbeaten in all competitions since Solskjaer replaced Jose Mourinho in December and their improvement is down to the Norwegian’s insistence on an attacking style of play, as opposed to the defensive fare served up by his predecessor.
“We’ve got to rediscover the Manchester United way of playing, and I don’t think many teams enjoy their nights at Old Trafford when we’re on song,” Solskjaer, who has 10 wins and a draw so far, told www.uefa.com.
“It’s about taking the game to the opposition, always believing in yourself. If you asked other managers who played against [former United manager] Sir Alex [Ferguson]’s teams, the pace and the tempo going forward was key.
“I have three good forwards myself. As well as [Marcus] Rashford, [Anthony] Martial, [Romelu] Lukaku, we have [Alexis] Sanchez and [Jesse] Lingard. They can challenge PSG’s defence.”
Solskjaer’s managerial record in domestic competitions with United speaks for itself, but today’s match will be his first test against elite European competition.
Progress for United in the Champions League would reinforce the case for Solskjaer to be named United’s permanent manager and the 45-year-old has fond memories of the tournament.
“The biggest nights of my career have been Champions League nights,” said Solskjaer, who scored the lastgasp winner for United in the 1999 final which helped the club complete a treble, including the Premier League and FA Cup titles.
“When you get to this stage of the tournament, with the floodlights on, these are the games that you really look forward to.”
United warmed up for today’s match with a comfortable 3-0 win at Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday with midfielder Paul Pogba scoring twice and Martial adding the other.
Meanwhile, PSG fans were no doubt brimming with confidence about facing United when the draw was made nearly two months ago.
Neymar, Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe were scoring with ease, Marco Verratti was pulling the strings in midfield, and the club had secured impressive back-to-back wins against Liverpool and Red Star Belgrade to qualify for the last 16 at Napoli’s expense.
United were struggling under thenmanager Mourinho, and creative players like Pogba were not suited to his gritty and tactically stifling approach.
Now the tables have been turned, and injury-hit PSG’s trip to Old Trafford has taken on a daunting dimension.
United are unbeaten since Solskjaer took charge and Pogba, so unhappy under Mourinho, can’t stop smiling — or scoring.
While Saturday afternoon was good for United, Saturday evening proved to be awful for PSG.
In a matter of hours, the complexion of today’s game changed even further.
Already missing Neymar because of a right foot injury , the French champions lost two more players.
Cavani, PSG’s all-time leading scorer, damaged a tendon in his right hip in the 1-0 win against Bordeaux, and goal-scoring right-back Thomas Meunier sustained a mild concussion.
These injuries follow on from midfielder Marco Verratti’s sprained ankle three weeks ago.
Facing a pumped-up and revitalised United line-up at Old Trafford would have been difficult enough with everyone fit, but PSG coach Thomas Tuchel has problems in every position except goalkeeping. There, at least, he has the reassuring presence of Gianluigi Buffon.
Tuchel is missing two of his best three forwards, and he isn’t even sure if Verratti will be ready, having played only 58 minutes against Bordeaux on his return from injury.
With Neymar and Cavani out it means that Mbappe, the French league’s 17-goal top scorer, is certain to start at centre forward.