Good evening! The
Champions League is back, folks, and we get the knockout stages underway with a cracker tonight as in-form
Manchester United host
Paris Saint-Germain at Old Trafford!
United were not given a chance by most when this draw was made on December 17, but Jose Mourinho was sacked a day later and since then the Red Devils have looked like a completely different team. PSG are one of Europe's most dangerous sides, though, so it promises to be a very intriguing match tonight.
Let's have a quick look at the team news before we get underway...
MAN UTD STARTING XI: De Gea; Young, Bailly, Lindelof, Shaw; Herrera, Matic, Pogba; Lingard, Rashford, Martial
SUBS: Romero, Dalot, Jones, Fred, Mata, Sanchez, Lukaku
PSG STARTING XI: Buffon; Kehrer, Silva, Kimpembe, Bernat; Verratti, Draxler, Marquinhos; Alves, Mbappe, Di Maria
SUBS: Areola, Kurzawa, Dagba, Paredes, Nkunku, Choupo-Moting, Diaby
We will have a minute of applause in memory of Emiliano Salah prior to kickoff - a man who made his name in Ligue 1 and was hopeful of doing the same in the Premier League before his tragic death.
KICKOFF: Here we go! PSG get us underway at Old Trafford!
United are fired up for this one! They are charging everything down and not giving PSG a second on the ball in these very early exchanges.
Marquinhos is a little fortunate to avoid an early yellow card here as he trips Lingard cynically to prevent an attack. A little later in the game and that is a certain booking.
PSG nick the ball back on the halfway line and immediately look to spring a counter, but Di Maria takes too long in possession and is tackled. Di Maria is being booed every time he touches the ball against his former club.
SHOT! That would be one way to silence the boo-boys! Di Maria is given the space to shoot from just outside the area and duly goes for goal, although his effort is always curling away and ends up a couple of yards wide of the far post.
SAVE! Buffon is called into his first piece of action as Rashford puts his foot through the ball from a very tight angle. There is plenty of power behind it, but it is relatively straightforward for Buffon to turn around the post.
Buffon has looked a little shaky with the ball at his feet on a couple of occasions already tonight, and that is an area United could look to exploits with Rashford's pace closing him down.
YELLOW CARD! Rashford skips the ball away from Kimpembe, who trips the striker and earns the first yellow card of the night.
Di Maria looked a little unsure in possession in the very opening stages of this match, but he is beginning to have more of an influence now as PSG grow into the game as a team too.
We're 15 minutes into this match now and we're still yet to see a big chance for either side. It hasn't exactly been a cagey affair, but these first legs can often develop that way.
SAVE! Pogba suddenly bursts into life as he storms down the right flank before skipping past Kimpembe with consummate ease. He plays a low ball into the box but Buffon is there to gather it at the second attempt with Lingard lurking.
Crucial piece of defending from Kimpembe as he flicks a header on at the front post to nod it behind for a corner. It was a very dangerous delivery and there were three United players in there trying to get on the end of it.
SHOT! Pogba tries his luck on the turn from a short corner, but his effort is wild and well off target.
YELLOW CARD! Draxler goes into the book for a mistimed challenge on Herrera.
Hopefully there will be goals in this one tonight...
PSG have barely been able to get Mbappe on the ball at all in the opening quarter of this match. Of the two managers, it will be Solskjaer who will be the happier with how his side have started this one.
Promising break for United as Lingard and Rashford exchanges passes to release the former, but his pass to Martial is then behind him and the ball goes out for a throw.
Rashford hounds Verratti before winning the ball back inside the PSG area, although the referee rules that he did so illegally.
YELLOW CARD! Pogba becomes the third player in the book already for a late trip on Verratti.
Mbappe has his first chance to burst clear and show his pace as he storms down the right flank, but his second touch is not what he wanted and he has no-one in support in the box.
CHANCE! The first clear chance of the night falls to PSG, but Mbappe cannot make the most of it! Verratti slides a pass in to Draxler, who in turn touches it through to Mbappe. The Frenchman bursts away from his man and takes a touch, but De Gea is quick off his line and forces the PSG man to go for a sliding finish, which he sends wide of the near post.
YELLOW CARD! Ashley Young becomes the latest player to pick up a booking for dragging Mbappe back after finding himself in a footrace with the youngster. Only one winner there!
There hasn't been a huge amount to shout about in the opening half-hour or so, but this moment from Pogba was one of the highlights so far...
Kimpembe has to be careful here! The defender goes into a challenge on Shaw and doesn't get any of the ball - or much of the player, in fairness. However, it was a risky challenge for a man already in the book.
YELLOW CARD! Speaking of the book... the yellow card is back out for a fifth time as Bernat clatters into Young.
Rashford almost latches on to a risky back-pass from Kehrer, but Buffon is alert enough to get the ball clear.
Big chance for PSG as the ball is slid through to Di Maria, who almost takes the ball around De Gea but then scuffs his finish to allow De Gea to get back and make the save. Di Maria's blushes are spared by the offside flag - which was delayed due to the new use of VAR in this competition - but the United fans will not let him use that as an excuse!
Anthony Martial needs some extended treatment here and it doesn't look great for the winger. It looks to be a muscle problem, which isn't usually something that they risk.
Martial is now back on, but Di Maria is sent flying off the pitch on the opposite flank as Young nudges him down the drop and into the railings on the side of the pitch. That has angered the PSG players!
That was a painful one from Di Maria, and it was a little naughty from Young too. It wasn't a huge push - and Young will claim it was a fair shoulder barge - but Di Maria had no chance of preventing himself crashing into the barrier.
Di Maria now returns to the field as United win a corner which comes to nothing.
SHOT! Victor Lindelof looks to make himself the unlikely hero with a low strike from range which bobbles wide of the target. Buffon watched that all the way.
There will be a minimum of two minutes added time at the end of this first half, although that may be extended as Lingard needs treatment.
SHOT! Alves lines up a free kick from range, but he cannot get the dip on the ball and it flies over the crossbar.
MAN UTD SUB: United are forced into a change right at the end of this first half, with Alexis Sanchez replacing Lingard.
HALF TIME: MANCHESTER UNITED 0-0 PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN
The first half comes to an end at Old Trafford, and it hasn't been the greatest spectacle so far in truth.
Clear chances have been few and far between and it has been scrappier than many would have been expected. We still have 45 minutes for that to change, of course, but so far it is turning into a cagey first leg.
The best chance has fallen the way of PSG and
Kylian Mbappe, but he could not squeeze the ball past De Gea on the stretch after latching on to a cute pass from Draxler.
VAR may well have ruled it out for offside as the winger looked to be leaning ever-so slightly beyond the last man, but that is about as good as it has got for either side in terms of goalscoring chances in this match.
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Di Maria also squandered a glorious chance - to the delighted of the jeering home fans - although on that occasion he was eventually flagged offside anyway, so it would not have counted.
The Argentine curled an early shot wide of the far post too, while Alves fired a free kick over the crossbar in the closing stages of the half, but when it comes to clear openings it really is only that Mbappe chance so far.
United have not fared any better, with their best moments both coming down the right channel - first when Rashford forced Buffon into a routine save with a powerful striker and then when Pogba burst past his marker only to see his low cross cut out.
Lindelof also fed a long-range shot wide of the target towards the end of the half, but United need to know more of a cutting edge in the final third if they are to give themselves the advantage going into the second leg.
KICKOFF: United get us back underway for the second half, and having made a change in first-half stoppage time the hosts are being forced into another at the break with Juan Mata replacing Martial.
As I said, not exactly a thriller so far...
YELLOW CARD! Lindelof is the sixth name in the book tonight for a cynical shirt tug on Mbappe.
Good spell of possession for PSG now as they begin to knock the ball about inside the United half, pinning the hosts back deep into their own third.
CHANCE! Another decent chance for Mbappe as PSG work the overlap with their lengthy spell of possession, finding Alves. His cross into the box is met by Mbappe, whose low header is turned past the post by De Gea.
GOAL! MAN UTD 0-1 PSG (PRESNEL KIMPEMBE)
GOAL! First blood goes to PSG as they get the all-important away goal!
The resulting corner is delivered by Di Maria, who curls it into a brilliant area. Matic and De Gea both leave it for each other, but Kimpembe is alive and fires the ball into the roof of the net from close range!
PSG look to be in the mood now, with Marquinhos finding De Gea with a lovely pass over the top. Di Maria tries to beat Young, who does just enough to force only a corner.
CLOSE! So nearly a second goal for PSG as the corner is only cleared as far as Alves. The Brazilian strikes his first time volley cleanly, but Pogba sticks out a leg to deflect it narrowly wide with the keeper beaten.
Here is that opening goal, which is the difference between these two teams as we approach the hour mark...
CLOSE! United look to respond as Herrera tries his luck with a first-time volley. He doesn't catch it particularly cleanly, but it bounces narrowly wide with Buffon seemingly surprised by just how close it came.
GOAL! MAN UTD 0-2 PSG (KYLIAN MBAPPE)
GOAL! This tie could be slipping away from United now! This is a lovely goal - and another assist from Di Maria to help silence those United fans who have been giving him so much stick.
The Argentine slides his low pass into the perfect area in the middle for Mbappe, who once again show electric pace to burst into the box and guide his finish past De Gea.
YELLOW CARD! Alves is the latest player in the book for a rash challenge from behind on Pogba.
CHANCE! PSG have the chance to kill the tie off once and for all as the pure pace of Mbappe gets him through one-on-one with De Gea. Mbappe tries to dink his finish over the keeper, but he stays up big and makes a crucial save.
CHANCE! PSG are cutting United open at will now, with Bernat the latest to get in down the left channel and forcing another decent save from De Gea.
UPDATE: There has been an opening goal in the other last-16 tie tonight too, where Roma have taken the lead against Porto.
...and here is that goal from the PSG prodigy.
It is 'Ole!' football from PSG now. They have stepped it up a gear in this second half and are in complete control of this match. United have little option but to throw caution to the wind, but Mbappe's pace on the break is so dangerous.
UPDATE: Roma have hit a quickfire double against Porto to take control of that tie. They now lead 2-0.
PSG SUB: PSG are forced into a change here as Leandro Paredes replaces Verratti.
UPDATE: Porto have pulled a quick goal back at the Stadio Olimpico - what could be a crucial away goal too!
Kylian Mbappe has now scored as many Champions League goals as Ronaldo, by the way.
He is only 20 years old!
PSG SUB: Di Maria departs to plenty of abuse, but he has notched two assists against his former club as he is replaced by Colin Dagba.
SHOT! Herrera tries to curl one into the top corner from the edge of the box and it is a decent idea, but it floats over the crossbar.
MAN UTD SUB: A third and final change for Manchester United as Romelu Lukaku replaces Rashford.
Less than five minutes remaining now and United really do not look like getting a goal back at the moment. They will have a mountain to climb at the Parc des Princes.
YELLOW CARD! Herrera is the latest name in the book for a sliding challenge from behind on Mbappe.
RED CARD! ASHLEY YOUNG (MANCHESTER UNITED)
RED CARD! CORRECTION: PAUL POGBA (MANCHESTER UNITED)
RED CARD! More misery for United as Pogba picks up a second yellow card and is given his marching orders! Initially it looks as though Young has talked his way into a second yellow, but instead it is Pogba for his original foul on Alves, and he can have no complaints. He will be suspended for the second leg!
There will be four minutes of added time at the end of this match.
YELLOW CARD! Shaw picks up a late yellow for a barge on Alves.
FULL TIME: MANCHESTER UNITED 0-2 PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN
Very much advantage Paris Saint-Germain, then, as they move up the gears in the second half to secure a 2-0 win at Old Trafford.
It is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first defeat as United boss, but more importantly it leaves them with a mountain to climb when they visit the Parc des Princes on March 6.
Presnel Kimpembe and Kylian Mbappe got the goals as PSG emerged victorious from the first ever meeting between these two sides, and the Ligue 1 outfit now have one foot in the quarter-finals.
Right, that is all we have time for this evening!
Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's match as PSG take control of their Champions League last-16 tie with Manchester United. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction too.
From me, though, it is goodbye for now!
