Ole Gunnar Solskjær pointed to Manchester United’s famous 1999 Champions League triumph as evidence they can score the goals needed to knock Barcelona out in next week’s quarter-final second leg after losing Wednesday night’s opening game 1-0 at Old Trafford.
Luke Shaw’s 12th-minute own goal gave Barça victory yet the manager believes United can still progress to the semi-finals despite failing to score in a home Champions League tie for the fourth time this season.
In the final of 20 years ago at the Camp Nou, Solskjær scored the last-gasp winner against Bayern Munich after Teddy Sheringham had equalised just moments before to give United a second European Cup, and the Norwegian believes they can call on that spirit to keep alive their hopes of reaching the last four.
“We’ve scored goals at the Nou Camp before from corners and crosses,” he said. “We can carry a goal threat but we have to provide more ammunition and chances.”
In the previous round United overturned a 2-0 deficit to Paris Saint-Germain from the first leg to win the return 3-1 and make the quarter-finals on away goals.
Asked if doing the same to Ernesto Valverde’s team would be a better achievement, Solskjær said: “Of course, the PSG performance away gives us hope and belief we can do it, but we know we are playing against probably the favourites in the tournament and going to the Nou Camp will be a challenge. It will be a bigger achievement winning that one because with the history of Barcelona, they are not used to losing at home, but we can do it. No doubt about it. We are a goal threat, be it Rom [Lukaku] or Rash [Rashford] or whoever is playing up there, we have to create chances for them.”
Asked if Barça will be wary of United after how PSG were defeated, Solskjær said: “I think they will.”
The manager was also full of praise for Scott McTominay, who impressed in midfield against Sergio Busquets.
“He was fantastic,” said Solskjær. “Every time he plays for us he is improving. He’s a great athlete, wins his challenges and is quick on his feet. He started settling us, to be fair. We played a good team. We know you have to defend a lot without the ball and you might be tired when you get the chance yourself. We go there with one thing in my mind: we have to score.”
The defeat was Solskjær’s fourth in five matches since the victory over PSG but he insisted that his side could take confidence from the performance. “We did as well as we could against [Lionel] Messi, kept our shape well,” he said. “It could have gone both ways. I don’t think we hit the target and that’s a disappointment. We go there with work to be done but chances.
“We’re playing against a great team. It’s a tough one, we’ll go there with the knowledge we can score over there. Away from home we beat Juventus, we beat PSG, we have to go to Barcelona and win that one. We know that we have possibilities in this tie.”
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