5 tactics that could help Solskjaer stage a comeback against Paris Saint-Germain
Manchester United travel to Paris to face Paris Saint-Germain in a game on Wednesday that could define their season. The task at hand is not simple - an away win by 2 goals or more. Nothing less than that or else, United will be out of Champions League. The fact that they have to score those two goals against a side as lethal as the French Champions makes matters quite complicated.
United lost the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 tie 2-0 at home. It was an uninspired performance form the home team, and by the final whistle, Pogba's red card made matters a lot worse. The Frenchman, arguably United's talisman since Solskjaer took over, is now suspended for the match, and his absence could cost United.
To make matter worse, injuries to key players - Martial, Lingard, Herrera and Matic means that United will be without 5 of their first team players. While the combination of injuries and suspension will hurt United, Solskjaer is not someone who backs away from a new challenge.
The Norwegian has grown up steeped in the never say die attitude of Sir Alex Ferguson and as such, he will have a plan with the men at his disposal. Today, we look at 5 tactics that Solskjaer could use to churn up another comeback for United this season.
#5 Switching to a back 3
In the home game, the United defense failed to deal with the pace and power of the PSG attack. Di Maria and Mbappe ran riot, while United also had to pay for loss of concentration during set pieces. Solskjaer must have duly noted this and will have a plan to counter this on Wednesday. The first step towards that could be a back 3.
Against Southampton over the weekend, Solskjaer shifted to a back three of Ashley Young, Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelof in the second half. It opened up the game and helped United stage a fantastic comeback. It could be a sign of things to come from Ole in midweek, because a back three could help United counter PSG's tactics.
Tuchel used the same tactics to unsettle a very fast and fluid United side and there's no reason why Ole cannot give his opponents a taste of their own medicine. The extra man in defense will help bring a calm against a very fast attacking force, while Victor Lindelof's ball playing abilities could be key to breaking down the PSG defense.