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Solskjaer blames poor finishing, defends Fred after Man United’s defeat to PSG

OLE Gunnar Solskjaer believes that better finishing would have seen his Manchester United side get a result against Paris Saint-Germain in Wednesday’s Champions League clash at Old Trafford.

United needed only a draw to reach the round of 16 but fell to a 3-1 defeat, with Neymar (two) and Marquinhos scoring for PSG while Marcus Rashford netted for the hosts, who had Fred sent off in the second half.

“I think you look back at that game and the chances we created and you feel we deserve to go through,” Solskjaer told MUTV.

“But you need to be more clinical, you need to take your chances, definitely. But you’ve got to say the boys did create those moments and chances, that’s the big positive. 

“We should have been more clinical, of course, we know that. More quality with the finish and then you’re celebrating. But that’s football. It’s always decided in the boxes with that quality. Sometimes it goes for you, sometimes against you and definitely tonight it went against us. We didn’t deserve to lose.”

Video Assistant Referee checked Marquinhos’s goal for offside before it was given and Solskjaer rued his side’s poor luck while sounding confident about getting the point they need in Germany to qualify.

The Norwegian added: “It’s half a centimetre, half an inch (onside). We’re a bit unlucky with Aaron [Wan Bissaka’s] right heel or something that’s just in line with Marquinhos. I thought it was offside, but it’s just fine margins and we look forward to next week. We’ll still go there (to Leipzig) and get something out of it.”

Fred’s second yellow card looked inevitable after he had escaped red in the first half for a headbutt but Solskjaer inconceivably left the defensive midfielder on until he was eventually sent off.

But the manager refuses to blame himself or the player for the costly dismissal.

“Yes, that’s not a yellow card, we know that,” he insisted. 

“The referee, when he sees it, he knows he’s made a mistake. That’s something that sometimes happens. You can’t do anything about it unfortunately, but it was a clear and obvious error. Very frustrating. 

“(It’s) a clean challenge, a fair challenge. He played really well. Fred is so energetic out there. He’ll hold his hands up and say sorry, but you can’t be sorry for winning the ball, can you?

“Fred shouldn’t put his head towards him. You can’t do that. So he was a bit lucky. I thought it was either nothing or a red card. I thought he was maybe a bit lucky to stay on when the referee decided to give him anything.”

With United, PSG and RB Leipzig all tied on nine points, Solskjaer’s side need a draw in Germany on the final match of the group stages to go through. He is positive United will not be eliminated.

“We go into a game of football wanting to win it,” the former striker said.

“I think these games against PSG and Leipzig at home have showed how much we’ve developed. I think the team has developed in these types of games and it’s just about some finishing today and we’d be smiling.

“They (the players) don’t need lifting, we’ve just got to make sure we don’t drop our heads. That’s football. You’ve got a big game against West Ham already on Saturday and then Tuesday against Leipzig, so it’s a great week.”

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