RED LEAVES OLE FRED UP
Euro hopes in the balance after 10- man United crash
MANCHESTER UNITED’S Champions League fate will come down to a tense visit to Leipzig next week after a red for Fred saw them crash to defeat at Old Trafford against last season’s finalists.
The Brazilian’s dismissal for a second yellow card left United with too much to do in the last 20 minutes to claw back the point they needed to reach the last 16.
In truth he should not even have been on the pitch having somehow escaped a sending off for a first- half headbutt in a feisty contest decided by two goals from Neymar and one from Marquinhos.
Marcus Rashford did equalise for
United but they did not have the ammunition to pull the game back with 10 men.
Neymar went into the game with 36 goals in 63 Champions League matches and within six minutes had made that 37. He pounced on to a deflected shot from Kylian Mbappe and slid the ball past David de Gea from a narrow angle.
De Gea was also called into action to make a flying save from an angled shot by Leandro Paredes after a slack clearance from Fred.
It took United 15 minutes for their first shot at goal but Keylor Navas was equal to
Marcus effort.
United were very fortunate not to go down to 10 men in the 21st minute when Fred appeared to head butt Paredes.
The Argentinian made a meal of matters but there was a definite te leaning in to his s face from the e Brazilian and d United must have e feared the worst t when Italian referee ee Daniele Orsato studied died the pitch- side monitor. itor
So it was a major surprise that last season’s Champions League final referee did not end Fred’s evening there and then. The shenanigans seemed to belatedly jump- start United
Rashford’s left- foot and after Anthony Martial’s shot had been saved by Navas the ball was swept back to Rashford whose shot was deflected in off Presnel Kimpembe after 32 minutes. The equaliser was a relief for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, below, and while fortuitous, it being PSG, Rashford’s involvement was almost inevitable. He grabbed the winner in the first meeting between the sides this season and slotted in the pen penalty that eliminated the Parisians in the rou round of 16 in 2 2018- 19. Rashford was again in involved in a fine b build- up four minutes af after the interval, com combining well down the right with Edinson Cavani b before squaring into the path of Anthony Martial who somehow put the ball over the bar from six yards out. It was, frankly, a sitter. Cavani was inches away from a goal against his former
team with an exquisite chip which hit the crossbar after a United breakaway triggered by Scott McTominay. Martial’s follow- up shot was blocked.
United’s crossbar was then struck by a header from PSG captain Marquinhos.
But then after a fabulous save by De Gea low to his left from substitute Mitchel Bakker, PSG regained the lead in the 65th minute. A corner was driven back into the United penalty area by PSG’s Ander Herrera, ricocheted off Abdou Diallo and Marquinhos was on hand to tap home.
Within five minutes Fred had finally received his marching orders after a second yellow for a foul on Herrera. It was a rough call as he appeared to get the ball but justice, while delayed, was done.
Neymar added his second on a breakaway in injury- time to seal a win which keeps PSG in the hunt for the round of 16, while United need a point in Germany next Tuesday.
Fred gets just a yellow for this headbutt on Paredes but the reprieve is temporary