sport news Manchester United 0-2 PSG: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer tastes first defeat

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.

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. 

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

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