MX23RW : Thursday, October 3 23:31:33| >> :60:3399:3399:
[monks data]
Attendance: 47,441
PSG logo
Champions League | Round of 16
Mar 6, 2019 at 8pm UK
 
Manchester United logo

1-3

Bernat (12')
FT(HT: 1-2)
Lukaku (2', 30'), Rashford (90' pen.)

5 talking points ahead of Manchester United's game with PSG

The Red Devils need to come back from a 2-0 defeat in the first leg.

Manchester United face a huge challenge if they are to progress past Paris St Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

Ahead of the last-16 second leg at Parc des Princes, Press Association Sport looks at five of the main talking points.

1. Can United make history?

Presnel Kimpembe scored in the first leg for PSG
Presnel Kimpembe scored in the first leg for PSG (Mike Egerton/PA)

Believe it or not, the 2-0 first leg defeat to PSG was United's heaviest ever home loss in European competition. Presnel Kimpembe and Kylian Mbappe did the damage at Old Trafford last month and leave things looking bleak for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side. UEFA research shows that of the 106 teams that have previously secured a 2-0 first-leg away win in European Cup history, all 106 have made it through. Furthermore, United have never come back from a first-leg home defeat to win the tie in UEFA competition.

2. Will PSG bottle it?

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has pointed to PSG crumbling in Europe before
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has pointed to PSG crumbling in Europe before (Michel Euler/AP)

The French side certainly showed enough at Old Trafford to worry United, although Solskjaer was quick to point to their soft underbelly in his pre-match press conference. "I don't want to call it strange, but last year Juventus lost 3-0 at home against Real Madrid and suddenly they were 3-0 up after 90 minutes against Madrid away," the Norwegian boss said. "The year before that, PSG against Barcelona. We all remember those results." Many of the players remain from the PSG side that won their last-16 clash with Barca 4-0 at home, only to fall to a 6-1 loss in the second leg and bow out. Gianluigi Buffon was in goal for the aforementioned Juventus match, too, and United will be hoping doubt creeps in again.

3. United down to the bare bones

Paul Pogba is one of a number of absentees for United
Paul Pogba is one of a number of absentees for Manchester United (Martin Rickett/PA)

If United's challenge was not hard enough in the French capital, they arrive without 10 players. Paul Pogba's red card at the end of the first leg compounded the loss and ruled him out of the Parc des Princes clash, which fellow midfielders Nemanja Matic, Ander Herrera and Juan Mata will also miss. The absence of Phil Jones, Antonio Valencia and Matteo Darmian diminishes Solskjaer's defensive options, while in attack Jesse Lingard, Anthony Martial and Alexis Sanchez are out through injury. Solskjaer remains upbeat about the options at his disposal, but the absentees are far from ideal.

4. Will a new star emerge?

Marcus Rashford announced himself as a Manchester United player in European competition
Marcus Rashford announced himself as a United player in European competition (Adam Davy/PA)

The injuries could offer a new crop of players the chance to shine. Three years on from relative unknown Marcus Rashford bursting onto the scene in a European match, the likes of Tahith Chong, Angel Gomes and James Garner are among those hoping to make their mark. All three have made their debuts, unlike fellow talented teenagers Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams. The latter was as surprised as anyone with his inclusion in the 20-man squad and much is expected of 17-year-old Greenwood.

Can United stop Mbappe and Co?

Manchester United will agve to stop Kylian Mbappe
United will have to stop Kylian Mbappe (Martin Rickett/PA)

Even without Edinson Cavani and Neymar, PSG managed to give United a headache at Old Trafford last month. Mbappe's pace and directness were too much, while Angel Di Maria relished the chance to get one over his former side. Cavani has not yet returned to action but trained on the eve of the second leg, meaning United may have another challenge to contend with in the French capital. Solskjaer has underlined the importance of scoring the first goal on Wednesday night, but PSG's attacking options make that easier said than done.

ga('create', 'UA-72310761-1', 'auto', {'name': 'pacontentapi'});
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'referrer', location.origin);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension1', 'By Simon Peach, Press Association Chief Football Writer, Paris');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension2', 'b6aff51b-805f-443b-a12f-4e31e137f410');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension3', 'paservice:sport,paservice:sport:club-news,paservice:sport:football,paservice:sport:uk');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension6', 'story');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension7', 'composite');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension8', null);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension9', 'sport:football');
ga('pacontentapi.send', 'pageview', { 'location': location.href, 'page': (location.pathname + location.search + location.hash), 'title': '5 talking points ahead of Manchester United\u2019s game with PSG'});

ID:352425: cacheID:352425:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:12192:No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer watches on during his side's Champions League clash with PSG on February 12, 2019
Read Next:
Solskjaer believes United can spark another PSG collapse in Champions League
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
1.15am
Buccaneers
@
Falcons
Tables header RHS

League Phase

TeamPWDLPTS
1Dortmund22006
2B. Leverkusen22006
3Benfica22006
4Brest22006
5Aston Villa22006
6Liverpool22006
7Juventus22006
8Inter Milan21104
9Man City21104
10Atalanta21104
11Arsenal21104
12Sparta Prague21104
13Sporting Lisbon21104
14Monaco21104
15Lille21013
16Bayern21013
17Barcelona21013
18Real Madrid21013
19PSG21013
20Celtic21013
21Brugge21013
22Atletico21013
23Feyenoord21013
24Bologna20111
25Shakhtar20111
26PSV20111
27Stuttgart20111
28Dinamo Zagreb20111
29Girona20020
30RB Leipzig20020
31Sturm Graz20020
32AC Milan20020
33Red Star20020
34Salzburg20020
35Slovan Bratislava20020
36Young Boys20020


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!