MIRACLE IN PARIS FOR OLE
MARCUS RASHFORD scored a dramatic penalty in added time to send Manchester United through amid fresh VAR controversy.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side staged one of the greatest comebacks in their history to send French superstars PSG packing from the Champions League.
United were handed the penalty lifeline after ref Damir Skomina used VAR to review a handball from PSG’s Presnel Kimpembe.
After an agonising wait, ref Skomina pointed to the spot and Rashford kept his cool, crashing the ball into the roof of the net past Gianluigi Buffon to send United through against all the odds.
When asked what he was thinking as he stepped up to take the penalty, Rashford said: “Just keep a cool head. They are the type of thing you practise every day and I wanted to take it.
“That was probably the hardest thing, the wait before, but it’s all
part of the game and those moments, that’s what we live for.”
Romelu Lukaku, who scored twice, gave United the dream start, rounding Buffon to give the Reds the lead inside two minutes.
PSG equalised through Juan Bernat but an error from Buffon was seized upon by Lukaku, who claimed his second of the night at Parc des Princes.
That left United needing one more goal to make it 3-3 on aggregate and go through on the away goals rule, with the late drama providing a stunning twist.
The extraordinary win showed why Solskjaer will be handed the Old Trafford job on a permanent basis. This was United’s first away win in the Champions League knockout stage since their semifinal triumph over Schalke in the semi-finals in 2011.
And Solskjaer provided proof once again of his tactical acumen, despite having to field a makeshift side, with nine senior players out injured and Paul Pogba suspended.
One of those stand-ins was 22-year-old Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay who rose to the big occasion as he sniffed out danger from first minute to last.