Manchester United vs PSG: Why Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is still confident and Tottenham vs Dortmund preview
The United manager is still very calm despite a 2-0 home defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, while we also look ahead to Tottenham's clash with Borussia Dortmund this evening
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After a two-month hiatus, the Champions League finally returned last night, with two huge round of 16 clashes in Manchester and Rome respectively.
Manchester United’s vastly improved form under interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer meant that many believed this would be the night they would reassert themselves as one of Europe’s elite sides, but they faded after a bright start against Paris Saint-Germain.
They lost both Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial to injury at half-time, before away goals from Presnel Kimpembe and Kylian Mbappe secured victory for the reigning Ligue 1 champions. And to compound United’s misery, Pogba saw red late on, ruling him out of the second leg.
In Italy, Roma also opened up a two goal lead over Liga NOS champions Porto, with 19-year-old starlet Nicolo Zaniolo striking twice in the second-half. But with time running out, Adrián López pounced upon Tiquinho Soares' mis-hit shot to salvage a potentially crucial away goal.
Here’s everything you need to know from an important night of Champions League action, as well as a look ahead to tonight’s fixtures. Tottenham Hotspur host Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund at Wembley, while in Amsterdam Ajax will entertain reigning champions Real Madrid.
Tuesday’s Champions League players power rankings
What happened in Manchester
Solskjaer suffered his first defeat since becoming Manchester United interim manager in December as PSG scored twice in the second-half to take control of their round of 16 tie.
PSG may have been without star players Neymar and Edinson Cavani but their rejigged team was still able to end Solskjaer’s 11-match unbeaten run.
Former United player Angel Di Maria played a key role in the opening goal, drifting a superb corner into the box which Kimpembe nodded into the net.
The Argentinian was at it again moments later, sending in an inch-perfect cross for Mbappe to turn in, having squeezed himself in between Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof.
Why Solskjaer is still confident
Unlike his decidedly dourer predecessor, Solskjaer attempted to remain optimistic after his side’s defeat, insisting in his post-match press conference that a second leg recovery was possible.
“Mountains are there to be climbed,” he said with the faintest trace of a smile. “You can't lay down and say this is over We will go there, play our game and improve from today.”
But the Norwegian also conceded that the game was a “reality check” and learning experience for his side, admitting that is has been a while since this team has played an opponent as dangerous and comfortable at this level as PSG.
“They had the momentum after the first goal and controlled the game,” he added. “You could see that we hadn't played at this level for a while and we will have to learn. It was an experience that can go either way, it's not going to be a season defining one, it's one we have to learn from.”
And – to his credit – Solskjaer refused to blame his side’s defeat on the two injuries they suffered on the stroke of half-time.
“You can't say that's a reason, we had quality players to come on but Lingard and Martial give us something and let's hope they are not too serious. They are muscle injuries, we have to wait a couple of days.”
Who impressed?
Di Maria was superb, rising above the deafening boos and a hurled bottle to turn this game in PSG’s direction.
The Argentinian was jeered throughout and suffered being shoved into the advertising hoardings by Ashley Young in the first-half, but recovered to produce two sumptuous assists in the second-half.
Mbappe was also superb, with the 20-year-old going close in the first-half before nervelessly slotting home PSG’s second.
“You can watch football all your life but sometimes there are players who will smash your sense of what is possible on the pitch”, wrote Jack Pitt-Brooke in his piece from the game.
“Lionel Messi does this, with skill and awareness and balance. So does David De Gea, with how he can react to save shots that most goalkeepers would only see as they flew into the net.
“Kylian Mbappe is in that same bracket. For him, it is his pace that puts him outside the boundaries of what we expect to see on a football pitch. And it was his pace that Manchester United never came to terms with, as he helped PSG to fly home with two away goals and one foot in the Champions League quarter-finals.”
All you need to know about the second leg
The second leg takes place next month, on Wednesday 6 March at the Parc des Princes.
Pogba is suspended after being shown two yellow cards last night at Old Trafford.
What happened in Rome
Roma got the job done against Porto at the Stadio Olimpico – although a fortuitous late goal from two-time Spain international Adrián López left the round of 16 tie in the balance.
There was little to separate the two teams in a close first-half, with former Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko going the closest to opening the scoring. On the stroke of half-time he cut inside from the left and angled a drive across the face of goal, which crashed against the near post.
It took Nicolo Zaniolo to break the deadlock. Dzeko was the architect of the first goal, turning on the penalty spot before laying off the teenager for a simple finish. And moments later he had a second, with the 19-year-old pouncing upon a Dzeko rebound.
But with time running out Roma switched off, with Porto grabbing a precious away goal that keeps the tie alive. Francisco Soares' horribly sliced his attempt on goal only for the ball to fall kindly for López, who produced an impressively cool finish.
For the full match report, click here.
What they said
Roma skipper Daniele de Rossi cut a disconsolate figure after the full-time whistle, admitting that next month’s return fixture in Portugal is a completely different proposition after López’s late goal.
“It is, because we’ve been so united in recent months and conceding like that after doubling our lead hurts,” he told Sky Sport Italia. “It’s a pity because we had been so careful. This 2-1 means we can’t be relaxed, but it’s a good result. We’ve just got to ensure we don’t concede there and play a careful game. It’s different to 2-0, but it’s still advantage us.”
Meanwhile Porto defender Pepe was characteristically boisterous about his team’s chances of turning the tie around in the second leg.
“We were good,” he said. "Unfortunately this was not the result we wanted, but we had personality and wanted to play. Now we play at home and we’ll do our best to qualify. It’s possible to turn the tie around. We have to be focus and work a lot and see where we came up short in order to avoid them and qualify.”
Who impressed?
Zaniolo was born in 1999 and only moved to Roma last summer, but is enjoying a fine debut season at the Stadio Olimpico, becoming the youngest player since Francesco Totti to score three goals in Serie A.
His outstanding form continues to make a mockery of Inter’s decision to sell him for just €4.5m last summer, using the teenager as a makeweight in the deal to bring Radja Nainggolan to the club for €24m.
Starting alongside Dzeko and Stephan El Shaarawy on the right of Roma’s three man attack, Zaniolo was superb last night against Porto, repeatedly beating his man and impressing with bursts of skill, before the two late goals which won the match for Roma.
All you need to know about the second leg
Roma travel to Portugal to play Porto in the return fixture on Wednesday 6 March.
Tuesday night’s Champions League reading list
Wednesday night preview
Tottenham Hotspur take on Bundesliga pacesetters Borussia Dortmund, with all eyes on England starlet Jadon Sancho. The 18-year-old is likely to play a starring role in his first professional club match on English soil, and Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino said yesterday he is not surprised by the teenager’s emergence this season.
“We knew very well that he was capable to do what he is doing now with game time,” Pochettino said. “We have seen the quality that he was showing in Manchester City or in his national team. I think we were talking in the last few years that he was a massive prospect to be a very good player.
“Of course he is showing now in Germany that he can cope with the pressure to play in the Bundesliga or in the Champions League. And not surprise me. His talent is there and he's a very talented player.”
In this evening’s other fixture, Ajax will attempt to stun reigning European champions Real Madrid, in a match set to be dominated by 21-year-old Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who signed for Barcelona for £60m last month.
The deal saw De Jong remain in Amsterdam for the rest of the season and he has shaken off an injury complaint to be in contention tonight.
He had been doubtful due to an adductor injury but his coach confirmed his availability for the last-16 first leg on Wednesday. And with an impending move to La Liga, Ten Hag said it was natural that De Jong would want to impress against Real. “I think that is true for all our players. The opponent is an enormous challenge and we are all looking forward to it,” he told a news conference.
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