Paris Saint German outclassed Manchester United 2-0 in the first leg of their last-16 showdown at Old Trafford on Tuesday and it threw heavy social media trolls and one that stood out was from NBA star, Jimmy Butler.
After a scoreless first half, Presnel Kimpembe and Kylian Mbappe scored within seven minutes to put PSG in the driving seat in pursuit of the quarter-finals and Butler took to social media to declare that the Red Devils were too scared of the ghost of Neymar that they collapsed in front of home fans.
The French giants went into the game without their biggest stars Neymar and Edinson Cavani through injury while Rabiot was blacklisted from the team after he refused to sign a new deal but PSG put all that behind them and with 41-year-old Gianluigi Buffon in goal they outclassed Ole Gunnars men.
That was the opinion of Philadelphia 76ers guard Jimmy Butler, with the NBA star partaking in a bit of expert trolling of the Red Devils after their 2-0 first-leg defeat in Tuesday’s last-16 clash in the Champions League.
“No @neymarjr , No @ECavaniOfficial, No problem. PSG #ChampionsLeague,” he posted on Twitter. “Man United scared of the ghost of Neymar #championsleague.” Butler contributed 22 points as the 76ers lost 112-109 to the Boston Celtics on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Italian legend Buffon said Paris Saint German (PSG) made the victory look easy.
“We made it seem easy by putting everything we had into those 90 minutes, the unity that is fundamental in this competition,” Buffon told Sky Sport Italia.
“We took some risks, but they allowed us to breathe when under pressure and break their attempt at pressing. In such a balanced tie, that is worth so much.”
Buffon was named in PSG’s starting XI and the 41-year-old became only the third keeper after Edwin van der Sar and Iker Casillas to reach 50 Champions League clean sheets.
The Italian veteran arrived from Juventus in the off-season, with the option of an extra year in the French capital.
“The contract is not a thought in my mind, to be honest,” Buffon said. “I just want to keep enjoying my football, being useful to the club and my team-mates, whether on the field or if needed off it.
“It has never been a problem for me to deal with a contract when I was 30 years old, let alone 41.”
But for Brazilian defender, Daniel Alves the victory against Manchester United show that the French giants are finally ready to win the UEFA Champions League.
“No, we invest because we have money, but it is not primordial,” he said when asked if the Champions League is PSG’s main target this season.
“Our goal is to win every competition. We work every day for it. To reach our goals, either the Cup, the Champions or the Ligue 1. But if you can win the Champions it will be welcome.
“I think we have to lose the virginity in this competition this season once and for all. We are working hard for it.”
“I am not scared of any comeback, because if you are scare you can’t reach any goal,” Alves said. “I think the past is the past, and you create history, don’t tell them.
“So, we have the opportunity to reach the next round, but we have to repeat what we’ve done today, because this team [Man Utd] have history in this competition as we haven’t. So we should have a good performance to reach the objective.”
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi heaped praise on his players after the vital victory at Old Trafford.
“We are very happy, proud of the team, the coach and the fans. It’s a magical evening, it’s perfect,” he said. “It was not easy with injuries [Neymar, Edinson Cavani] but we have great players, a great team, the match is perfect tonight.
“We have character, because it’s not easy to play here, Man United are one of the best teams in the world. But in terms of morale, we were at the top. We played 90 minutes, there is a second half at home. Do not think that the match is won. We must win at home on March 6.”
The return leg will be played on March 6 return fixture in France