Manchester United interim boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insists his side have a “fantastic chance” of overcoming Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. The new interim manager at Old Trafford believes his side have a real opportunity to go far in Europe despite drawing the Ligue 1 champions.
United will take on the French champions in the last 16 when the tournament resumes in February following Monday’s draw at UEFA headquarters in Nyon. The Red Devils qualified for the knockout stages as runner-up in Group H behind Serie A champions Juventus. PSG, meanwhile, topped a tough Group C that included Liverpool, Napoli and Red Star Belgrade. Solskjaer was simply a spectator for Monday’s draw, with Jose Mourinho still in charge of the Red Devils. However, things would take a dramatic turn when Mourinho was sacked 24 hours later.
The club soon turned former striker Solskjaer, who made more than 200 appearances for the club between 1996 and 2007, in an interim role until the end of the season. Solskjaer will take charge of the club for the first time against Cardiff City on Saturday. And though his immediate priority will be the Premier League, Solskjaer has also been reflecting on his side’s European hopes.
Plenty of pundits consider Man Utd as outsiders for the PSG tie, but the Norwegian disagrees and admits he cannot wait to lead his team out in the Champions League. “I was watching the draw on Monday without a clue as to what was about to happen. PSG is a fantastic chance. Under the lights at Old Trafford. The manager [Sir Alex Ferguson] talked about those nights. Those are the nights that United come to the fore. I can’t wait for it. But we need to build a foundation in the games leading up to it. We can’t wait,” Solskjaer told MUTV.
The Champions League will always be a special competition for Solskjaer thanks to his impact in the 1999 final. He scored a dramatic winner as the Red Devils scored two stoppage-time goals to beat Bayern Munich 2-1 and lift the trophy for the second time in the club’s history. Speaking of that famous match at the Camp Nou, Solskjaer said:” It was a fantastic night. It’s gone 20 years now. Unbelievable how time flies.”
