Champions League 2018-19, PSG 1-3 Manchester United: 5 ways Solskjaer masterminded a miraculous comeback

#3 Nullifying the initial weakness

Ole was wise with his substitutions

Solskjaer went for the defensive solidity of Bailly alongside Smalling and Lindelof in the defense. There was an initial confusion regarding the formation. While it would appear from the team sheet that the Norwegian had gone for a back 3, in reality, Solskjaer had asked Bailly to do a job at right back, where he had expected the Ivorian’s strength and speed to make a mark.

But it was from the right side that PSG got most of the joy in the initial stages. Bailly looked unsure, Ashley Young did not support him well and United were extremely vulnerable there. PSG’s goal in the first half also arrived from a defensive lapse from Bailly, who clicked off for a split second, allowing Bernat to score.

Solskjaer noticed this and immediately made a tactical change, bringing on Dalot for Bailly and restoring United to a proper back 4. With the young Portuguese manning the right side, the away team looked sharper and ended the first half on a stronger note.

It was Dalot who made the most telling contribution to the game, when his shot hit Kimpembe on the hand and United got the all-important penalty which won them the game.