PSG 1-3 Man United (3-3): Ole Gunnar Solskjaer adds to legend, trauma for Thomas Tuchel

Both teams had chances in the second period but lacked the necessary quality, with the French side looking like they would hang on until late VAR drama with United awarded a stoppage-time penalty for a Presnel Kimpembe handball. Rashford rifled it in and United went through on away goals.

LAST-GASP HEROES

Solskjaer’s ability to write his name into United’s storied history remains undiminished – and unmatched.

1998/99’s last-gasp hero in the Barcelona final can now say he oversaw 2018/19’s Parisian miracle makers.

The parallels to Bayern Munich two decades ago continued, a depleted side being given a chasing prior to their finish for the ages.

The caretaker manager’s latest achievement was utterly unparalleled. In 107 previous attempts, no side had overturned a 2-0 home deficit to progress in the European Cup.

With 10 first-team players out, a figure that contained his entire first-choice midfield, the odds were further stacked against him.

The visitors’ prospects were also not helped by an ill-fitted early outing of a 3-5-2 formation.

The Red Devils then barely touched the ball all night. But the maligned Scott McTominay was an animal unleashed in midfield, winning a team-high five tackles and boasting the second-highest pass percentage of 96. 2.

Some stand-in for Nemanja Matic. Lukaku grabbed two goals in the first half and then ended up heading balls away in the fraught scenes at the death.

A 14^th victory from 17 outings since the contentious, divisive Jose Mourinho bid farewell will never be forgotten.

Solskjaer surely has done more than enough to be given next season – and beyond.

PSG’S MENTAL BLOCK

Brutal trauma, yet again, for PSG in the round of 16.

Just two years after Barcelona’s Neymar-inspired recovery saw a 4-0 first-leg advantage evaporate in harrowing manner, history has, somehow, repeated.

Park the VAR controversy to one side. Searching questions must be asked by the Parisians about how they allowed a chronically depleted opponent, who enjoyed only 24-per-cent possession on the night, and at one stage were 3-1 down in the tie, to triumph?

In mitigation, Brazil superstar Neymar did not play a minute in either game. Prolific Uruguay centre forward Edinson Cavani was thrust on for the desperate, shell-shocked final throes.

Injuries to them did not help. But PSG should have had far, far too much against this United.

A trio of defensive catastrophes saw the hosts write their own suicide note. So too Mbappe finding the post in a game when Rashford was calmness personified from the penalty spot – what an occasion to tackle a first-ever competitive spot-kick for your club – and Lukaku faultless when presented with two gifts.

This is damning evidence of mental fragility. Further weight is added to by the fact it’s a quartet apiece of round-of-16 and quarter-final exits since the revolutionary Qatari takeover.

Are PSG left soft by a lack of genuine competition in Ligue 1?

Has the gamble on Mbappe and Neymar’s market warping signings, leaving little space for further midfield additions because of Financial Fair Play, condemned them to perennial failure?

Something has to change.

BAILLY’S A TICKING TIME BOMB

Before the epic late drama, a strong argument existed that the increasingly hapless Eric Bailly was this tie’s defining figure.

The gormless Ivory Coast centre-back dallied, fractionally, in the first leg and allowed Mbappe to slide in the killer second. Alarmingly, no lessons were learned in the interim.

It was astonishing to witness a figure who appeared so promising in his 2016/17 debut campaign at United so conspicuously – and repeatedly – fail to perform the basics prior to Bernat’s leveller on Wednesday. He became hypnotised as Mbappe picked up the ball, never once looking at the Spanish left-back who surged beyond him uncontested to tap in a low cross at the back post.

There was no spark from Bailly in the City of Light. And for the second time this season, after October’s horrific 19 minutes against Newcastle, he was hooked before the interval.

The £30 million buy from Villarreal trudged off with a pained expression on his face, he’d minutes before been clattered by Italy midfielder Marco Verratti. But the agony was all Solskjaer’s.

Repeat injuries have, unquestionably, hampered Bailly. Is it already, however, too late to salvage the 24-year-old’s Old Trafford residency.