Kylian Mbappe, PSG Top Manchester United in Champions League with Neymar Injured

Paris Saint-Germain took a big step towards booking a quarter-final ticket for the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, beating Manchester United 2-0 at Old Trafford in the first leg.

After a cagey first half PSG stepped up, and Presnel Kimpembe and Kylian Mbappe got the deserved goals. United had no answers for their pace in the attacking third, and former Red Devil Angel Di Maria bagged two assists. Paul Pogba was sent off for a second bookable offence and will be suspended for the return leg to complete a disastrous night for the home side.

The visitors were without the injured Neymar and Edinson Cavani, giving them a major handicap for this round-of-16 clash. The return leg will be on March 6.

Lingard Injury Will Sink United's Top-Four Bid

United have been highly reliant on mobility and athleticism in the attacking third since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took control of the squad, and the interim boss opted to leave Romelu Lukaku on the bench on Tuesday to make sure his attack could put as much pressure as possible on the PSG defence.

That meant Marcus Rashford started with Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard, a trio that can switch out wide or move inside at random and is incredibly hard to contain.

Of the three, Lingard has arguably been the top danger man in the squad―although Rashford deserves credit for his goals―and when he went down with an injury just before half-time Old Trafford fell silent.

According to Squawka News it was a hamstring issue:

There's no real stylistic replacement on the United bench, and while Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez are great players in their own right, they can't drive at opponents in the same way, making them lesser fits in Solksjaer's system.

Martial can run and dribble, but he tends to struggle with consistency and was far from his best on Tuesday:

If Lingard's injury is serious it could have a huge impact on the team moving forward. With key clashes against Chelsea and Liverpool on the horizon, it's the worst possible time to lose such an important contributor.

PSG Prove They’re Legit at Man Utd

The visitors traveled to Old Trafford with a number of question marks after a rocky spell in domestic competitions and injuries to Neymar and Cavani. But after the first leg of the round-of-16 clash, it's safe to say they've answered all of those questions, and Les Parisiens have every reason to feel good about themselves.

The Ligue 1 champions were far from their best in the first half but barely gave away any chances. They improved dramatically after the break, with Di Maria and Mbappe in particular picking up the pace.

For the former―who had a very poor first half and was jeered with every touch of the ball―it must have been an incredible feeling. He engaged with the home fans throughout the second half, including a testy exchange after the opening goal:

PSG under former manager and current Arsenal boss Unai Emery appeared to struggle with their mentality. Resilience was a major concern, and there was no real backup plan once Neymar was lost to injury in the Champions League tie with Real Madrid.

Things seem very different under Thomas Tuchel, however, as the German got his tactics spot-on at Old Trafford and made the necessary adjustments at half-time. His team completely neutralised Pogba and targeted United's vulnerable full-backs over and over again, despite being without arguably the best winger in the world.

Tuesday's win was a huge statement toward the other teams in the competition: PSG are legit, and they can hold their own even without Neymar.

What's Next?

PSG visit Saint-Etienne on Sunday, while Manchester United face Chelsea on Monday.