Man United sit at the top of Group H on nine points after five fixtures, having secured comfortable home wins against Leipzig and Istanbul Basaksehir, as well as an impressive win over Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes.
The Red Devils don’t need to take silly risks
Manchester United do not need to take “silly risks” against RB Leipzig, says Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who says the Champions League decider is a “test of character”. United sit at the top of Group H on nine points after five fixtures, having secured comfortable home wins against Leipzig and Istanbul Basaksehir, as well as an impressive win over Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes. However, Solskjaer’s squad still have work to do after a 2-1 defeat in Istanbul on the third day of the match and a 3-1 reversal against PSG last week, with a trip to Red Bull Arena the following Tuesday evening. Man United must avoid being defeated by Leipzig to secure a spot in Round 16, and PSG are currently the favourites to win the group, heading for their final against Istanbul in France.
Do-or-die
The Red Devils beat last year’s semi-finalists, 5-0 at Old Trafford, and Solskjaer believes another win over Julian Nagelsmann’s side will be proof of how far his team has come over the past year. Asked if the prospect of a do-or-die meeting in Germany hopes for him, the Norwegian boss told reporters: “Definitely. That is what the Champions League should be – and is – it is a test of character, a test of how far we have come. Football is only about performing when it matters, and this is one of those challenges. We have the last game ahead and we did well to get there, and of course, we need a point. We want to go out there and put our credibility on the game and hopefully win.”
Solskjaer insists Man United will go for all three points against Leipzig. Even though he only needs one, but has warned his players not to allow complacency to creep in.
“It is in your mind, of course, it is. We know that we should not take risks. You have to make good decisions,” the coach said. “The mindset has to be to go out there and try to win the game in a way that’s reasonable. That’s what we’ll do”. The Red Devils boss added to Leipzig’s challenge: “They have good players, a good team and the way they climbed the ranks was impressive. It’s all about Manchester United and how we perform. When we’re at our best, I think any side will struggle against us.”