Solskjaer evokes spirit of PSG upset as Man United brace for Liverpool visit

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sees parallels between Manchester United’s preparation for Liverpool’s arrival and the lead-up to last season’s Champions League win over Paris Saint-Germain.

United have been tipped to struggle on Sunday in what could be a defining game for manager Solskjaer against the Premier League leaders.

But the absence of important players, plus their status as underdogs, reminds Solskjaer of the March trip to Parc des Princes, when a late Marcus Rashford penalty gave United a 3-1 second-leg win and shock last-16 victory on away goals.

Alexis Sanchez, Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard were unavailable on that occasion, while for Sunday’s match it could be David de Gea joining Paul Pogba in the Old Trafford stands.

“I can’t say who is going to be available, but we’ll have 11 men out there and it reminds me a little bit of the PSG situation,” Solskjaer told his club’s website.

“We had loads of players out, everyone writes us off and are happy about that because, how can I say it, everyone doesn’t want us to win.

“But it’s Manchester United people, the Manchester United family, and we need to stick together because the 11 men out there will definitely give us what they have.”

United’s medical room might be just as busy as it was in March but the team’s form is decidedly different.

 A rivalry like no other #MUNLIV : coming   pic.twitter.com/nVDaBTGYUS

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 20, 2019

Solskjaer’s men lost 1-0 at Newcastle United in their last outing and have not posted a league win since a 1-0 home triumph over Leicester City on September 14.

Asked if the international break brought frustration, Solskjaer said: “It has and it hasn’t, because I think the boys needed some time to clear their heads.

“I think for me as well, as of course I was disappointed [with the Newcastle result]. Sometimes you get over a defeat quicker than other times.

“This time we were just eager to get players back, to get some players we had out for the internationals, just to get some confidence back and we’re ready to go again.

“It’s the perfect game for us and of course this isn’t new. It’s the one we look for every year when the fixture list comes out.”