Ole Gunnar Solskjaer used Ajax’s comeback against Real Madrid in the Champions League in his pre-match team talk to inspire his Manchester United players to victory against Paris Saint-Germain. The Dutch side were 2-1 down after the first leg of the last 16 tie going in the game at the Bernabeu on Tuesday night but pulled off a dramatic 4-1 win to knock the La Liga giants out and book their place in the quarter finals.
Erik ten Hag’s team were underdogs going in to the game and Solskjaer used that upset as an example to his players as they looked to pull off a historic victory in Paris. And it worked as United ran out 3-1 winners on the night to dump the French champions out of the competition and book their place in the last eight. Speaking after the game Solskjaer explained what he had said to his players before the clash at the Parc des Princes. “Champions League that’s what it does, we saw last night with Real Madrid and Ajax that was our team talk, and probably theirs as well,” Solskjaer said.
“Last year it was Real Madrid vs Juventus that was close, year before PSG vs Barcelona so we always know it’s possible and with this club it’s what we do, that’s just Manchester United.” After a famous victory United have now booked their place in the last eight of the competition with the draw for the next round, and the semi final, taking place on March 15.
Ferguson was sat next to Ed Woodward in the Parc des Princes directors’ box. Adjacent were Patrice Evra and Eric Cantona, two United French figures witnessing another revolution. They used to say there is never a quiet night in with United and those days are back. This was their loudest and greatest European evening since they last lifted the famous trophy in Moscow in 2008. {source; ManchesterEveningNews}