UEFA Champions League
PSG vs Manchester United Preview
An enthralling Champions League RO16 second leg will see PSG host Manchester United at the Parc des Princes. PSG already have one foot in the quarter finals after a convincing 2-0 win at Old Trafford. United will head to France with nothing to lose but they will have to be wary of a very dangerous PSG side. Ole Gunnar Solsjkær’s United recently set a historic record of 8 consecutive away wins in all competitions. There is no occasion more fitting than this one to extend that run to 9 games. The thrilling encounter will be officiated by Damir Skomina.
Team News
The hosts PSG are almost completely injury free. Edinson Cavani had a hip issue but he is back in contention for the game. Other than that the only notable absentee is Neymar due to his lengthy metatarsal injury.
United on the other hand, have a worryingly long injury list. Alexis Sanchez (knee), Ander Herrera (hamstring), Anthony Martial (groin), Jesse Lingard (hamstring), Juan Mata (hamstring) are all unavailable although Martial is making steady progress. Antonio Valencia, Matteo Darmian and Nemanja Matic are also out injured. To make matters worse, United will be without Paul Pogba, who picked up a red card in the first leg.
Ones To Watch
PSG will be looking forward to seeing more magic from Angel Di Maria, whose great performance helped PSG win the first leg. He got two assists and was a constant threat. Another huge threat for Manchester United is Kylian Mbappe, who also got a goal in the first leg. The Paris faithful will want to see more of the same.
With Paul Pogba’s creativity in midfield missing, United will heavily depend on their two men up front to propel them into the driving seat from a very difficult position. Romelu Lukaku and a now fully fit Marcus Rashford will need to produce the goods if United stand any chance of progressing.
Prediction
PSG are firmly in control of this tie and United have a ton of pressure on them to score goals. Additionally, United are missing a plethora of key players. It is an undertstement to say that this is an uphill battle for the Red Devils. Although you can never rule out teams like United. Thomas Tuchel will drill his players to stay focused and this game will most likely result in a PSG win.
Prediction: PSG 2-1 Manchester United
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