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Paris Saint-Germain cruised past Manchester United to take a giant stride towards the quarter-finals. The game which ended 2-0 in the visitors’ favor and handed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer his first defeat as United manager.
The home side started the better of the two and looked composed on the ball in the early exchanges. However, PSG slowly grew into the game and established control after the first quarter of the match.
Though Manchester United looked a little more adventurous after the break, they were quickly pegged back in the 53rd minute when Kimpembe scored from a corner. The Frenchman made no mistake and rifled the ball into the roof of the net.
Seven minutes later, PSG doubled their lead as Angel Di Maria ran clear on the left before expertly finding Kylian Mbappe. The home side tried to increase the tempo after going a couple of goals down yet could never really get going. To make matters worse, Paul Pogba was sent off in the 89th minute.
Here is a look at five talking points from the game:
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#5 Marco Verratti and Marquinhos run the show
PSG and Thomas Tuchel burnt the midnight oil prior to the marquee clash at Old Trafford trying to identify a fit-enough team combination. The visitors were sweating over the fitness of Verratti. The Italian though allayed all those fears and put in a virtuoso display in the middle of the park.
The diminutive midfielder was hassled and harried constantly by the home side yet he rarely ever looked like being dispossessed. Arguably the best midfielder in Ligue 1, Verratti kept the ball moving at all times and always presented his team-mates with an option.
While the Italian provided PSG with a ball-playing option, his partner, Marquinhos, added steel in front of the back four. Playing as the holding midfielder, the Brazilian was impeccable in his positioning and seldom put a foot wrong. Moreover, his brilliant tactical nous prevented the home side from mounting any threatening counter-attacks.
#4 PSG produce a complete performance
Ever since PSG was taken over by Qatari owners, their sole intention has been to crack the Champions League code. However, in the years gone by, the Parisians have stumbled in the crucial junctures.
But on Tuesday evening, against a high-flying Manchester United side, they put in a complete performance to stake their claim for Europe’s biggest prize.
PSG looked accomplished all across the pitch. The entire team put in a shift and covered a total of 102.72 kilometers.
The defensive trio of Thilo Kehrer, Thiago Silva and Kimpembe hardly had anything to do for the entirety of the game. The visitors controlled the midfield as well with the likes of Pogba, Herrera, and Matic failing to impose themselves.
In the attacking third, Di Maria looked as energetic as ever and was complimented superbly by Dani Alves on the other flank. Draxler, too was a sound option in midfield whereas Mbappe did what he does best by sticking the ball into the back of the net.
Over the years, PSG has endured several banana skins in the knock-out stages with their inability to rise to the occasion a major concern.
Yet, at Old Trafford, PSG showed that they are a different animal this season. And if such displays continue, the Champions League might not be too far after all.
#3 Manchester United flounder on the big stage
Manchester United came into the crunch Champions League encounter on the back of some scintillating form. The Red Devils had won 10 of their previous 11 games. However, against PSG, the home side barely showed any signs of their irresistible recent form.
The Red Devils looked a touch off the pace throughout and were beaten to several loose balls by the visitors. Moreover, they couldn’t come to grips with PSG’s system and were always overrun in midfield.
The goals that they eventually conceded resulted from lapses of concentration. While Nemanja Matic was caught ball-watching for the opener, Ashley Young let Di Maria run in behind to create the second goal.
Yet, the most worrying aspect for Solskjaer would be his team’s inability to conjure anything substantial in the offensive third. Throughout the game, the Red Devils had a solitary shot on goal.
The attacking verve was sorely missing from United’s play and their movements in the final third left a lot to be desired. On countless occasions, Matic and Ander Herrera were forced to play backwards and sideways due to a lack of options up front.
#2 Angel Di Maria shines on his return to Old Trafford
The Round of 16 tie between Manchester United and PSG brewed up several interesting sub-plots. One of those was Angel Di Maria returning to a place he called home for a year. And boy, didn’t he make a mark on Tuesday evening. In fact, he was so good that he even had time to taste a beer thrown at him from the crowd.
The Argentine caused Young all sorts of problems with his movement and direct running. In addition, his wonderful partnership with Bernat helped PSG outnumber the home side on the left flank.
However, the aspect which distinguished Di Maria from the rest of the pack was his end product. The Argentine delivered a pin-point corner for Kimpembe to open the scoring whereas his cross for Mbappe was even better.
The home crowd tried everything they could to dampen Di Maria yet everything only resulted in igniting the fire that had been raging within.
On a night when Old Trafford was crying out for a difference maker, the Argentine stood up. Unfortunately for the Red Devils, he was on the opposite side this time around.
#1 Manchester United has a mountain to climb in Paris
Against PSG, the Red Devils were expected to roll back the clock and manufacture one of those vintage European displays. However, it all ended in a damp squib with the home side producing an average performance.
To compound their woes, the home side saw their talisman, Pogba, being given his marching orders. Courtesy the red card, the Frenchman is now suspended for the return leg.
Though PSG has contrived to let a four-goal first-leg lead slip in the past (yes, we’re talking about that night in Barcelona), the French Champions are a tougher nut to crack at home. Additionally, the Barcelona side that turned around the mentioned deficit contained the likes of Messi, Suarez and a certain Neymar.
While United’s players are certainly no push-overs, the prospect of them scoring three goals in Paris looks incredibly bleak. Legend says one can never say never in a game of football and especially so in the Champions League.
