Manchester United 0-2 PSG: 5 Areas where Solskjaer lost the battle

#1 Departure from Counter-Attacking Football

Manchester United v Paris Saint-Germain - UEFA Champions League Round of 16: First Leg

Manchester United had always relied on fast counter attacking football to break down solid defenses and get the better of dogged oppositions. This style of play is embedded in the club's roots; it is almost a part of their institution. It was no surprise that Solskjaer found most of his success when depending on the same tactics that he had seen Sir Alex use at close quarters.

The plan was simple. United relied on their discipline and allowed the opposition to come to them. Then, as the spaces opened up, they capitalized by deploying fast, attacking football that caught the opposition off guard.

Players were instructed to waste little time on the ball and were encouraged to flood the opposition box on the counter to use the numbers advantage to win the game.

Against PSG though, United rarely used this plan. The French Champions did not allow United to mount the counter, staying static at the back throughout the game. United tried to react by going all out against a compact opposition, who continuously used the same tactics on the home team.

The Norwegian could have relied on his strongest attribute to beat a seemingly stronger opposition, but it just did not happen on the night. As United failed to get their counter-attack going, the battle was slowly lost.