WATCH: Mbappe, Kimpembe Score, Pogba Sent Off as PSG Tops Man United
PSG didn't have two of its heavy hitters, but it didn't need them at Old Trafford after all.
Kylian Mbappe and Presnel Kimpembe scored key away goals, leading PSG to a 2-0 win over Manchester United in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 matchup. Making matters worse for Man United, Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial were both lost to injury, while Paul Pogba saw a second yellow card late and will be banned for the second leg, which will require a comeback if the Red Devils are to go through. The defeat, meanwhile, was the first suffered by Man United in 12 matches under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Prior to the opening kick, the teams observed a minute's applause to honor the memory of Emiliano Sala, with UEFA paying its respects to the player who perished in a plane crash en route from Nantes to Cardiff, where he was set to join the Premier League club.
Ex-Man United winger Angel Di Maria, booed every time he was on the ball for PSG, fired the first warning shot in the sixth minute. He was given the time and space to fire from 20 yards out, and he nearly picked out the far post with a trademark left-footed curler, only to hook it just beyond a diving David De Gea.
Marcus Rashford tried to answer soon after with a speculative blast from a tight angle, but Gianluigi Buffon was ready for it, palming it away at the near post.
Pogba threatened next, also from a tight angle, beating Kimpembe down the right-hand side and turning the corner before forcing Buffon into a save, for which he did not concede a rebound.
Mbappe got his first chance in the 28th minute, toeing the offside line to run onto Julian Draxler's first-time throughball. De Gea came off his line to cut off the angle, and Mbappe wasn't able to hook his chance enough, instead putting it outside of the post. Had he scored, it's possible VAR, which has been introduced for the knockout stage, would have nullified it over a tight offside call.
Aside from the handful of half-chances, the match was marked by physical play. Five yellow cards were doled on in the opening 34 minutes, with Ashley Young and Pogba seeing yellow for Man United, while Kimpembe, Draxler and Juan Bernat going in the book for PSG. Young and Kimpembe were perhaps fortunate not to see their second yellows before halftime, with both guilty of aggressive fouls while already on yellows.
The physical first half came to a close without any goals, but not before Man United was forced into making an injury substitute. Lingard had to come off in stoppage time, with Alexis Sanchez getting the call off the bench prior to the halftime whistle. Another hobbled United player, Martial, had to be subbed out before the start of the second half, with Juan Mata coming on in his place.
Mbappe forced De Gea into his first save of the second half off a close-range header, with Dani Alves picking him out some eight yards from goal, only for his chance to be parried away with a diving stop. PSG found its breakthrough immediately after, though. Kimpembe came charging through the box on a corner kick and thumped home a volley, making it 1-0 to the visitors and securing a key away goal.
The lead doubled for PSG at the hour mark, with Mbappe finishing off a lethal sequence by racing to meet Di Maria's assist to make it 2-0. It very nearly became 3-0 moments later, only for De Gea to deny Mbappe from close range by getting a paw to his chance from a right-sided angle.
Things went from bad to worse for Man United as stoppage time neared. With the hosts pushing for a goal to take into the second leg, Pogba was sent off for a second yellow, extending his leg and getting a stud to Dani Alves's knee as both went for a pass from Luke Shaw. Pogba won't be available for the return leg in Paris, making Man United's comeback attempt all the more difficult next month.
Here were the lineups for both sides:
The second leg is slated for March 6 in Paris, where the quarterfinal berth will be sealed for one of the two sides.
