One of the standout moments of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era at Manchester United was that magical 2019 evening in Paris, when a badly injury-riddled side became the first side in Champions League history to lose by two goals at home in the first leg and still qualify.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had overseen a stunning three months in charge of the club as he took over on an interim basis following the removal of Jose Mourinho and according to many, this triumph in Paris was what earned the Norwegian the permanent gig.
Paris Saint-Germain had won the first leg of their round-of-16 meeting at Old Trafford by 2-0, with the away goal rule still in place at that time.
PSG were seen as the favourites to win the entire tournament but a resilient performance at the Parc des Princes earned United a 3-1 win, sending Thomas Tuchel’s men out of the competition.
Gianluigi Buffon, who had joined the Parisians the previous seasons, started both games for his side and now, he has finally opened up on the shocking defeat, admitting it was one of his biggest regrets.
“We threw it away,” Buffon told Bobo TV, via the Manchester Evening News.
“They played in Paris with children. There was [David] De Gea, Lukaku and Rashford but the others were young.
“We made a mess, mentally. Probably the biggest regret of my career. We were very strong, a mega team.”
SN’s verdict…
Marcus Rashford’s injury-time winner in that game was arguably the pinnacle of Solskjaer’s time at the club and at the time, it was a massive moment with huge significance.
Unfortunately, United’s season started to unravel almost immediately after that game and a 4-0 aggregate loss to Barcelona followed in the next round of the Champions League.
