PSG winning and outperforming Manchester United 2-0 at Old Trafford now has fans worried about the second leg, especially without Paul Pogba.
Before the first leg, odds were stacking up in Solskjaer’s favor with Edinson Cavani and Neymar unable to participate in the fixture for the Parisians. The referee was a little too loose with his bookings as we saw a large number of players receive yellow cards and ultimately cost them the Frenchman Paul Pogba from the second leg.
With PSG scoring two away goals it will be difficult for the Red Devils to make a comeback. On top of that Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard, Nemanja Matic, Juan Mata, and Ander Herrera will all be unavailable for this occasion. United need to score more than two goals and refrain from conceding to see themselves out to the next round. So how can United make a comeback from this deficit?
Match Details
- Date: Wednesday, March 06
- Time – 8 pm
- Venue – Le Parc des Princes
- Where to watch – Fubo.tv
I will outline three Key components:
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Have a Quick Start
United need to score first and early in order to start on the front foot and be able to continue the momentum. Scoring first will hinder the French sides confidence and force them to make more mistakes.
Sloppy plays and rushing their attacks are more likely to happen while they are under pressure. We have seen PSG get sloppy under pressure numerous times and ultimately resulting in a crumbling defense as we saw back in 2017 when Barcelona beat PSG 6-1 in one of the greatest comebacks in Champions League history.
Tight Defense
It’s going to be very difficult playing a defensive game and attacking playing style at the same time, but it’s up to Solskjaer to position the players right and use the right formation. PSG is so deadly on the counter-attack so United will need to properly time every challenge and to be careful when they drift wide.
Often times PSG were able to overlap and pass around United’s fullbacks to get into space. Playing without Pogba will also see a tighter midfield and will most likely result in a center-defensive midfielder hovering above the back four.
Keep Possession
United need to play calm, the worst thing they can do is rush the play. Every player should touch the ball before advancing in attack. This is so every player has time to move around and open up into spaces.
Playing long balls are simply not gonna cut it, United need to be creative yet simple in the right moments. Finally, the Red Devils need to capitalize on the set-pieces, take as many as they can get and make sure they are accurate. Set-pieces will be a huge help for United and their journey to launch a comeback.