What a match! Manchester United came back from a 2-0 deficit against Paris Saint Germain to score three goals and qualify for the quarter-final of the Champions League 2018/19 season. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would be more than happy with his side’s performance as they bring back the memories of the famous comeback of the 1999 Champions League final against Bayern Munich, the Norweigan being the star of the show on both the nights.
The Red Devils looked determined from the word go to overturn the deficit with Romelu Lukaku scoring the first goal in the second minute of the match. PSG responded well through Juan Bernat as he converted a pinpoint pass from Kylian Mbappe to bring his side back on level terms. Lukaku scored again after Gigi Buffon fumbled a shot from Marcus Rashford and put his team in front with his second goal of the night.
However, the main twist of the match came in the 89th minute as a long-range shot from Diogo Dalot kissed the hand of the PSG defender Presnel Kimpembe, and the referee gave it a penalty after referring with the VAR. Marcus Rashford stepped up to the spot and put his side into the UCL quarter-final in which was probably the biggest comeback of this season so far.
Here is how the Manchester United players were rated from their emphatic victory over PSG.
David De Gea: 7
Made some crucial saves throughout the match to deny the PSG attackers. Was not to blame for the goal conceded.
Eric Bailly: 5
Did well in his short stay on the pitch before limping off after he went to ground from a Marco Verratti foul.
Chris Smalling: 6
Made a few mistakes in the first half but came back very well in the second. Could have done better to stop Bernat from scoring the goal.
Victor Lindelof: 7
Brilliant composure as he kept Mbappe under check throughout the night. Cut off the supply line with his timely interceptions on a number of occasions.
Luke Shaw: 6
Looked good as he went forward with the ball but was not the greatest defensively. Gave acres of space to Draxler and Dani Alves to capitalise on tonight.
Ashley Young: 7
Kept getting the ball into the right areas with his accurate passing. Went into tackles fearlessly to snatch the ball away from the opposition.
Fred: 6
Looked a little subdued in the first half but started to get the composure as the game progressed. Passed the ball well but could not get the accuracy.
Scott McTominay: 7
A brilliant performance from the youngster as he made sure to fill into the void left by Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic. Used his physicality brilliantly against the likes of Verratti and Paredes to break down the attacks in the midfield.
Andreas Pereira: 6
Looked lively on the run and got some good crosses into the box as well. Could not backtrack well though.
Marcus Rashford: 8
The accuracy in his shot-making caused all the problems for the PSG defence. Peppered Buffon with many shots in the first half as he made two mistakes to allow Lukaku to pounce on them and get the goals. Put the match to bed with a thunderous shot that ended at the back of the net, with all the pressure of the world on his young shoulders.
Romelu Lukaku: 9
A fox in the box! Scored two goals with absolute precision as he latched onto opportunities that were on offer owing to silly mistakes from the PSG backline. Kept pushing for more throughout the match. Took a few knocks but the Belgian was up for the occasion.
Substitutes
Diogo Dalot: 7
Did very well after he came on and kept the attacking mentality for his side. It was his shot that kissed the arm of Kimpembe to give the Manchester United fans memories to cherish for a long time to come.
Tahith Chong: NA
Played too little to warrant a rating.
Mason Greenwood: NA
Played too little to warrant a rating.
