Key to Euro shock is to halt Mbappe
OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER knows stopping striking sensation Kylian Mbappe is the key to avoiding a French farce here.
Mbappe tore Manchester United to shreds in the first leg as Paris St-Germain recorded an impressive 2-0 Champions League first-leg win at Old Trafford.
The result helped PSG put one foot into the quarter-finals and left United needing a minor miracle in the Parc des Princes tonight.
But stopping Mbappe is easier said than done, considering he has hit 28 goals this season.
Mbappe also comes into this clash brimming with confidence having notched seven goals in his last five games.
Nothing will faze the 20-year-old, who already has a World Cup winners’ medal to his name despite still finding his lightning feet in the from JEREMY CROSS in Paris
game. Solskjaer believes United can produce an upset and become the first side to overcome a 2-0 deficit from the home leg to progress in the Champions League.
But his defence will have to be at its absolute best to halt the most dangerous forward on the planet.
He realises the challenge will be a different level to the ones that face his side on a regular basis in the Premier League.
The Norwegian knows all too well how the slightest mistakes will be punished.
He said of Mbappe: “He’s already started his career fantastically, but hopefully we can stop him here.
“He’s lightning. In the World Cup it was fantastic to watch him, but hopefully our boys can be on top of their game and stop him.
“It’s easy in hindsight to sit and analyse how we should have done this and that in the heat of the moment. We made a couple of mistakes, but at this level even the small mistakes are punished when you play against top-class players.
“You can get away with it in the Premier League, but not in the Champions League latter stages.”
One of the men charged with stopping Mbappe will be ever-improving United central defender Victor Lindelof.
The Sweden international admits Mbappe is world class but is relishing the ultimate test of his abilities.
Lindelof said: “I think everyone here knows his qualities. He’s shown that and he’s a worldclass player.
“But I’m looking forward to the challenge. He’s a good player but you have to be alert and ready for anything.”
Lindelof, 24, endured a miserable start to life at United after joining them from Benfica for £37m in 2017.
He was mocked by United fans and pundits alike but has found his feet under Solskjaer to become one of the team’s most impressive and consistent performers. Admitting he is loving life under the caretaker boss, he added: “I communicate with him in Swedish and he talks to me in Norwegian. It’s always nice to speak in your own language. “From the start, he said just play your game. He’s given me a lot of confidence and helped me a lot.”