NEYM AND SHAME
Brazilian strikes twice as United face final game shootout after Fred’s costly red card
FRED was the villain as Manchester United failed to secure their place in the last 16. The Brazilian midfield star was sent off in the 70th minute as United slumped 3-1. They must now avoid defeat at RB Leipzig next Tuesday to reach the knockout stage.
Boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s failure to replace Fred at halftime, after he somehow escaped a red card for a head-butt on Leandro Paredes, ultimately cost United. He was eventually sent off for a second yellow card, giving Solskjaer’s men little chance of coming back against PSG, for whom Neymar scored twice. United, PSG and Leipzig are all on nine points with one game left.
OLE Gunnar Solskjaer has never hid from criticism since taking over at Manchester United.
So he must accept he is to blame for United’s failure to clinch their place in the last 16 with a game to spare.
Quite why Solskjaer did not replace Fred at half-time, with the midfielder destined to earn the red card he eventually did in the second half, only he knows.
But with United down to 10 men for the last 20 minutes, a minute after going 2-1 down, their hopes of getting anything from the game went with Fred’s departure.
United must get a point away to RB Leipzig next Tuesday to progress. Defeat in Germany would see Solskjaer’s side demoted to the Europa League.
A point here would have secured their place in the last-16 and ensured the pressure was off for the trip to Leipizig for the final group game.
The Red Devils made the worst possible start, going behind after six minutes, their defensive shortcomings brutally exposed by Paris Saint
Germain’s marauding attack. Kylian Mbappe and Neymar exchanged passes, the former’s shot deflecting into the path of the latter, who drilled a clinical angled finish beyond David de Gea to give the visitors the lead.
De Gea had to be alert four minutes later, diving high and at full-stretch to his right to palm away a goalbound effort from Alessandro Florenzi, with United vulnerable defensively.
The French champions were allowed to settle in to a comfortable rhythm and dictate the game, Neymar just failing to get on the end of a Florenzi
cross in the 14th minute to make it 2-0. It was an electric start from PSG, with Mbappe and Neymar taking advantage of United’s collective anxiety,
United received a huge let-off in the 21st minute when Fred clashed with Leandro Paredes and stupidly leaned his head into the midfielder’s, sending him tumbling to the ground.
It was an over-reaction from Paredes, but inexcusable from Fred, who seemed certain to be shown a red card, only for ref Daniele Orsato to review the pitchside monitor and produce a yellow. PSG were furious at the decision and surrounded Orsato over the perceived injustice, while United were relieved, but no doubt just as baffled as their opponents that Fred was allowed to continue.
The perceived injustice stripped PSG of their early enterprise, United d capitalising on their eir good fortune in the 32nd minute, with Rashford levelling.
After an Anthony Martial effort was saved by Keylor Navas, Aaron Wan-Bissaka cut the ball back to Rashford, whose shot deflected off Abdou Diallo, sending it spinning into the net. The goal made Rashford (left, congr congratulated by Edinson Cav Cavani) the first United p player to score six or m more goals in a Champions League campaign since Cristiano Ronaldo, who plundered eight in 2007-8.
Fred continued to live dangerously, no more so than in the 37th minute, when he was involved in another clash with Paredes, one which ended with the PSG man booked. But a replay of the challenge showed Fred planted his right foot on Paredes in a cynical move and was lucky to escape a second booking and a subsequent red.
United should have taken the lead after the restart, Cavani and Rashford linking up superbly, only for Martial to sky his shot high into the Stretford End, to the dismay of Solskjaer.
Cavani then hit the bar with wonderful chip that had Navas beaten, the ball eventually falling to Martial, whose effort was blocked by PSG skipper Marquinhos.
But it was Marquinhos who made the breakthrough for the visitors in the 69th minute, steering the ball past De Gea from close range after WanBissaka played him onside.
A minute later and Fred was off, a second yellow card for another clumsy challenge, although he looked to have got the ball. But, having been lucky to stay on earlier, he could have few complaints.
Down to 10 men, United were unable to find a route back into the game and their misery was complete when Rafinha cut back for Neymar to direct home in stoppage time.