'We'll play the United way'
One of Europe's traditional financial powerhouses Manchester United meet the nouveau riche Paris Saint-Germain as the Champions League last 16 gets underway on Tuesday with both sides hoping to finally reap some reward on the biggest stage from record levels of investment.
Despite splashing hundreds of millions on new players since taking over in 2011, PSG's Qatari owners have not been able to buy success in the competition they crave the most with four successive quarterfinal exits.
Hitting form and finding fortune at the right time of the season is also key as PSG have found to their cost in the case of the world's most expensive player Neymar.
The Brazilian will miss both legs of the tie against United due to a metatarsal injury in his right foot. Adding to their injury list will be Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani, who injured his hip on Saturday, and defender Thomas Meunier.
And form seems to be on the side of Ole Gunnar Solksjaer's team, the manager having overseen an 11-match unbeaten run since taking over, with a draw to Burnley to only blip in that time.
Their improvement is down to the Norwegian's insistence on an attacking style of play, as opposed to the defensive fare served up by his predecessor, and he has brought out the best in his players.
Ahead of the tonight's match, Solksjaer warned the Parisiens that Manchester United would not sit back at Old Trafford for the first leg.
"We've got to rediscover the Manchester United way of playing, and I don't think many teams enjoy their nights at Old Trafford when we're on song," Solskjaer, who has 10 wins and a draw so far, told the UEFA website.
"It's about taking the game to the opposition, always believing in yourself. If you asked other managers who played against Sir Alex (Ferguson)'s teams, the pace and the tempo going forward was key. And, of course, the belief, the surge, that last 15 to 20 minutes towards the Stretford End -- it was almost like the ball was just sucked into the goal.
"Mbappe has incredible pace, there is no one who is as a lightning quick as him. But I have three good forwards myself. As well as [Marcus] Rashford, [Anthony] Martial, [Romelu] Lukaku, we have [Alexis] Sanchez and [Jesse] Lingard. They can challenge PSG's defence."
Solskjaer's managerial record in domestic competitions with United speaks for itself, but Tuesday's match will be his first test against elite European competition.
"The biggest nights of my career have been Champions League nights," said Solskjaer, who scored the winner for United in the 1999 final. "When you get to this stage of the tournament, with the floodlights on, these are the games that you really look forward to."
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