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PARIS (Reuters) – Manchester United triumphed again at Paris St Germain, but Tuesday’s Champions League victory was not as euphoric as the previous one, according to manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
United’s previous trip to Paris in 2019 ended with Marcus Rashford scoring an injury time penalty that secured qualification for the quarter-finals with away goals, while Tuesday’s 2-1 win was just a stepping stone in Group H.
“It’s a different feeling than the last time we won here, it’s at the beginning of the group stage, but we’ve beaten a fantastic team,” Solskjaer said after Rashford scored the winner again, three minutes from full time.
“The last time it was a knockout and it was euphoric, this is sterile without the fans, but it’s still great and we deserved to win.”
The game was played in an empty stadium amid the COVID-19 crisis.
United will face RB Leipzig, who lead the group after beating Istanbul Basaksehir 2-0.
“We know we need 10 points to pass, so next week’s game is very important. There are so many games,” Solskjaer said.
However, there was plenty to enjoy, as Rashford once again played the main tormentor at the Parc des Princes.
“Of course it’s a nice feeling. Most importantly, we won the game. We are now in a solid position in the group, but this is the first game. The concentration levels that we show today we have to move towards the next game.” . said the forward.
United also showed steel on defense, with Axel Tuanzebe doing light work with Kylian Mbappé and Neymar in their first game in 10 months for the Premier League side.
“He was incredible today,” said goalkeeper David De Gea. “He played against two of the best players in the world in Neymar and Mbappé, so he did very, very well. I am very happy for him.
“He has been in difficult moments with injuries but now he has shown today that he is capable of playing important games.”
For Rashford, the key was concentration and the poise shown by the team against last season’s runner-up PSG.
“Each game requires different tactics and a different performance, but what has to remain the same is the intensity,” he said.
“The intensity was key for us tonight. We continued for 90 minutes.”
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Toby Davis)
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