UCL: MAN UTD COULD ONLY MANAGE A SHOT ON TARGET IN THEIR HOME DEFEAT TO PSG; HAS OGS’S MAGIC FINALLY RUN OUT?

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Joseph Omoniyi

Owing to their recent run of play and the amazing start and stat of caretaker manage, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, many football bookmakers and analysts did give the first-leg of the UEFA Champions League game to Manchester United, however, Paris Saint-German, PSG overshadowed and overpowered the red devils, despite the French club being with Neymar and Cavani.

In the game that ended in a 0 – 2 defeat for Man U at Old Trafford, PSG inflicted a damaging Champions League setback on the host and locked them in a hole that will be quite difficult to escape from.

The French Champions came to Old Trafford and put in a quality display that was so convincing, dominating the match from start to finish.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men started the match against PSG in a furious rhythm. They were flying up the field in a co-ordinated high press, forcing their visitors back and causing them to misplace passes or hoik the ball out of play. It looked like they were going to make life hell for the French champions and make this a memorable night at Old Trafford.

The coordination of the press vanished and United dropped back into a press so gentle it was more like a message. United still pressed, but only in individual bursts which did nothing but tire out their players by having them make long sprints at defenders only to have PSG comfortably pass the ball around them because space is there.

This doesn’t seem like a massive issue but the lack of pressure allowed PSG’s experienced pros to ease their way into the match. Even without Neymar and Edinson Cavani, there was so much experience there they managed to find their rhythm with ease so that when they took the lead in the second half, it looked a goal that had “been coming.”

One of the biggest problems for Thomas Tuchel coming into this game was how he was going to keep a lid on Paul Pogba. The Frenchman has been the most explosive and dominant player under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and on the face of it was a force that PSG had no answer to as they never managed to sign a defensive midfielder in January.

Except PSG have been using Marquinhos there all season to varying degrees of success. And tonight they deployed him there with a specific mission to effectively man-mark Paul Pogba. Marquinhos is a tremendous athlete and was thus able to match Pogba physically, meaning that whenever the Frenchman tried to get moving through midfield he found the Brazilian blocking his path – either literally or figuratively.

It was a tremendous performance from Marquinhos, shielding the PSG defence from the wrath of Pogba and frustrating the United no. 6 so much that he ended up getting himself sent off with a reckless tackle.

Paul Pogba has come alive since Jose Mourinho left with goals and assists galore in the twelve games under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

United fans were hoping the 25-year-old French World Cup winner would be the main man to control midfield against Thomas Tuchel’s stars.

But Pogba couldn’t find the rhythm and influence he’s showed in the Premier League and as PSG grabbed the game after half-time the £89million United star struggled to have an impact.

United desperately needed Pogba to be at his menacing, powerful best. Instead, Pogba was a bystander – and United looked flat and short of ideas.

And the Frenchman’s misery was complete late on as he sent off for a second yellow card – and now misses the second leg in Paris.