Manchester United will face the PSG in the Champions League Round of 16 tie and it seems that the players are well aware of the firepower that the Parisians bring to the table.
Jesse Lingard had been a key player for Manchester United under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The young Englishman has been a key part of the team’s upsurge in form which has made the PSG game an affair of the equals. United have been handed something of an advantage for both legs of the tie, with Neymar having been ruled out for 10 weeks. But Jesse knows that making it past PSG will be no easy task due to the other quality players under Tuchel’s disposal.
Lingard on PSG and the players
“Neymar is up there with the best in the world and you can learn from players like that,” he told Goal. “You want to play against the best players and teams in the world and they’ve got a couple of them.”
“Their team is doing well at the moment. Mbappe is a very good footballer – he’s come a long way to get to where he is now. He’s still so young… it’s frightening really.”
“We want to relish this opportunity and play against the best. Champions League at home to PSG, you can’t get much bigger than that.We want to win and if we apply ourselves right we can get the job done.”
“The world is his oyster”
The 26-year-old has also acknowledged the fact that the Red Devils’ attack has been firing on all cylinders under their interim manager. He talked up the talent of team-mate Marcus Rashford, stating that “the world is his oyster”. Lingard is one of the many first team players in awe of the youngster’s current form.
“He’s so young and he’s achieving so much – the world is his oyster,” Lingard said. “He’s a humble kid, he always keeps his feet on the ground. He loves his football and plays with a smile on his face, which is important too. His form has been great at the moment, he’s relishing every opportunity and making them count.”
“He works hard and helps the team with goals and assists, that’s very important for us. We press from the top and he starts that off for us too. I like to look after him when he gets into trouble on the pitch, I’m always there to back him. It started at the Man City game, he got into a little bit of beef.”
“I like to be there for him. Ever since then it has carried on, whether it’s with England on Man United. I’ve always been there and I’ll back him no matter what.”
Author’s take
United’s form under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer combined with PSG’s injury woes has spiced up the encounter. The men from the French capital are no more the favourites. With names likes Pogba, De Gea, Rashford, Martial on one side and Mbappe, Buffon, Di Maria and Thiago Silva on the other, it is set to be one of the games of the season.
