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Fifty four days. It had to happen eventually. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has lost a game as Manchester United manager.
There won’t feel like a bright side to look on, given the magnitude of this competition, but at least Solskjaer didn’t lose to mugs. This wasn’t an upset, this wasn’t a travesty. What is inescapable after a performance of this magnitude is that PSG are one of the finest sides in Europe, even without Neymar and Edinson Cavani.
They were by far the better team on the night and, playing like this, could grow to be European champions. They were not flattered by the scoreline at all; if anything, it could have been more.
Kylian Mbappe opened his body up to slide a finish past David de Gea and double PSG’s advantage in the tie
The deadly forward timed his run to perfection and showed brilliant composure to slot the finish home
Presnel Kimpembe broke the deadlock with a well controlled volleyed finish into the roof of de Gea’s net
The PSG centre-back scored the first goal of his PSG career at a particularly opportune moment in the tie
Manchester United were undone by an excellent team display, plus the individual excellence of two players in particular. Kylian Mbappe’s pace and goalscoring smarts make him the best young striker in the world right now, while Angel Di Maria was on a revenge mission, desperate to show Old Trafford what they had missed in his brief time here. He did, too, making both goals. His celebrations suggested he enjoyed proving the point, too.
Both goals came in the second-half, PSG having also had the best chance of the first. Injury left Solskjaer reshaping United’s forward line but it was at the back that they were undone: poor marking for the first, a mismatch of a foot race for the second. PSG dispatched them in a six-minute spell. The tie is not over, but United have a mountain to climb now.
The opening goal came from a right-sided corner, after De Gea had tipped round a Mbappe header from a Dani Alves cross. Di Maria curled it in and defender Presnel Kimpembe got in behind Nemanja Matic to volley the ball past De Gea from close range. Whether he should have been on the field having committed several fouls having been the game’s first booking is another matter.
That controversy was put to bed, however, by the second. A sublime cross from Di Maria was executed perfectly by Mbappe, opening his body to sidefoot the ball first time past De Gea.
He should have had another immediately after, too, again put through by Di Maria and outstripping Victor Lindelof before De Gea made a fine save, as the striker attempted a Messi-style low lob. By the end Old Trafford was silent bar the raucous noise of the visitors. It had been a sobering experience. Not a stain on Solskjaer’s reign – just a reminder that while they have a come a long way in 54 days, there is still some distance to travel.
Short-term, at least, it will have to be travelled without Paul Pogba, who capped a miserable night with a second yellow card for a nasty foul on Julian Draxler, even if it appeared referee Daniele Orsato had first dismissed Ashley Young in error. It wouldn’t surprise. He wasn’t very good.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer watched his side lose momentum and then concede twice in the space of ten minutes
Angel di Maria whipped in the delivery and Kimpembe lost his marker to convert with aplomb at the back post
Thiago Silva (left) wheeled away in celebration after Kimpembe gave PSG a crucial away goal to take with them
Di Maria seemed to love rubbing it in to the Manchester United fans who had given him a hard time all game
Much like Manchester United, referee Daniele Orsato started off guns blazing and then lost his way in little; in as much as he booked five players in quick succession, and then lacked the gumption to upgrade to red when the situation demanded. Ashley Young, for one, can count himself very lucky indeed.
He was booked, rightly, for a foul on Kylian Mbappe after 29 minutes, when the young striker looked to have turned him inside out.
Then, 11 minutes later, he committed a second offence that while not regarded as serious, could have resulted in significant injury.
Pushing is one of football’s minor offences – but not when it is an overt shove in the back of a player already travelling at high speed, on a pitch with a notoriously steep run off perimeter and hoarding and metal fences in close proximity to the playing area.
The ball was as good as dead when Young too this liberty with Angel Di Maria, who was sent cascading into a barrier, unable to slow or properly protect himself.
He could have broken an arm, or several ribs; he could have smashed his face in, fractured his skull. Young had absolutely no control over the consequence of his action. He should have gone.
Mbappe had the best opportunity of the first half but fired his effort into the side-netting after lunging for the ball
Di Maria’s effort from just outside the box caught the attention of David de Gea but was easily kept out by the Spaniard
The first 45 minutes featured a number of flashpoints and the referee Daniele Orsato struggled to control the game
The players clashed after Ashley Young gave Di Maria an unnecessary shove off the pitch into the advertising boards
Manchester United suffered an injury blow as Jesse Lingard pulled up and came off for Alexis Sanchez
Instead, Orsata chickened out. Maybe he would have shown a yellow card in different circumstances, but with Young booked either he misjudged the potential seriousness of the incident, or confidence failed him. No further action was taken, despite PSG’s angry protests.
They had a point, too – just as Manchester United’s players did when Presnel Kimpembe, having already been booked, committed a second offence that was equally reprehensible but, for reasons unknown, was not deemed worthy of a second card.
Not that the game needed two red cards to calm it down. It really didn’t merit five yellows before half-time, either. It was ferocious, hotly contested, but not dirty or foul tempered.
It was fast, though, with United in particular starting off at a furious lick, clearly under instruction to unnerve PSG with a very English high tempo. Either that of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had taken an unlikely interest in the tactics of England’s rugby union team, under Eddie Jones.
Not that it yielded a great deal. United didn’t really have a clear shot at goal in the opening 45 minutes, their best chances coming from two crosses, even if one did end up goalbound.
Anthony Martial was also forced to come off with an injury and Juan Mata came on to replace the Frenchman
Paul Pogba showed flashes of the brilliance that has typified his performances under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Solskjaer appealed for more from his players after PSG caught them cod at the beginning of the second half
Dani Alves had a free kick in dangerous territory but smashed his shot well over the bar at the end of the first half
That was in the eighth minute when Young worked the ball through to Marcus Rashford and he hit a cross-shot, slightly skewed and testing Gianluigi Buffon at the near post. Soon after, wonderful work from Paul Pogba on the right saw him burst into the area, hitting a low cross into the six yard area, which Buffon collected to prevent a tap-in conversion.
The best of the early chances, then, fell to PSG and could easily have seen them leading at half-time. In the sixth minute, Marco Verratti – and what a difference it was that he was fit – found Di Maria some 25 yards out, and his shot passed too close for comfort, with David De Gea reaching. Then, in the 28th minute, the visitors should have taken the lead.
It was a lovely move, involving Verratti, as always, who picked out Julian Draxler. He put Mbappe through one on one and only the speed of De Gea off his line disturbed the striker as he sized up the goal. Mbappe panicked and shot wide, United survived.
The combativeness of the game, however was taking its toll. Jesse Lingard was taken off injured shortly before half-time, replaced by Alexis Sanchez and Anthony Martial did not appear for the second-half.
Juan Mata on in his place. This was the squad Jose Mourinho thought lacked depth, do not forget, although a blunted Manchester United were quickly made to pay in the second-half.
Thomas Tuchel cut a frustrated figure on the sidelines as he saw his PSG team spurn a couple of chances to go ahead
The visiting supporters crammed in early and made themselves heard throughout the game at Old Trafford
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