Can Man Utd qualify for Champions League knockout stage? What they need from final fixture against RB Leipzig
Qualifying for the Champions League knockout stage has never been so crucial for European football clubs due to the catastrophic financial effects the coronavirus outbreak has had on revenue streams.
And Manchester United face the very real possibility of missing out on a spot in the last-16 and a lucrative £8.6million top-up to the club’s finances, following their 3-1 loss to Paris Saint-Germain.
United have already confirmed a £118.1m loss in revenues since the Covid-19 pandemic took a grip of English and European football back in March. Having been unable to sell out their 76,000 Old Trafford home – which generates around £3m per match day – for the past nine months, never has it been more important to raise money through other avenues.
And so it was with an added sense of frustration that United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer watched on as his side were outplayed by a PSG outfit that really, let’s face it, don’t need the money.
Marcus Rashford’s deflected strike got the hosts back level but after the break a Marquinhos scramble and Neymar’s second of the night sent the three points heading back to Paris.
Meanwhile, over in Istanbul, Leipzig claimed a thrilling 4-3 victory against Basaksehir to draw level with Group H rivals United and PSG on nine points.
So what does Wednesday night’s results means for United’s hopes of progressing? Here’s what Solskjaer’s men need from the final midweek of the group stage.
United may sit top of the group right now but that’s not much to boast about. Having needed just a draw against PSG to ensure progression to the knockout stage, now they suddenly have it all to do.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men will again need at least a draw – this time in Leipzig – to guarantee they advance. That’s because United would have a superior head-to-head record with Leipzig, having beaten the Bundesliga side 5-0 earlier in the campaign.
Should these teams draw and PSG somehow lose to Istanbul, then it would be the French giants who miss out on the knockout stage.
“We go into a game wanting to win,” Solskjaer said on Wednesday night. “The games against PSG and Leipzig show how much we’ve developed in these types of games. It was just about finishing today.”
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