Manchester United supervisor Marc Skinner says his facet “belong at this degree” after drawing with Paris St-Germain of their first Girls’s Champions League match.
Melvine Malard got here off the bench to equalise for United after Tabitha Chawinga put PSG forward of their second qualifying-round tie at Leigh Sports activities Village.
United will attain the group stage of the competitors with victory in Paris subsequent Wednesday, and Skinner noticed sufficient in his facet’s first-leg efficiency to imagine they’ll beat the two-time finalists.
“I imagine we are able to do it anyplace – so I imagine we are able to do it in Paris,” he mentioned.
“We belong at this degree, I’ve little doubt about that. The second half confirmed that to the gamers. I mentioned ‘simply imagine in yourselves, we’re a workforce at this degree’.
“We’ve got to earn it now. We’ve got nice shoulders to face on from our males’s workforce and that breeds into all of our membership. We have to take that perception into the second leg – that we’re Manchester United and we are able to beat anyone.
“I felt we may all the time exploit them and we are going to study from this to discover a gameplan for the second leg.”
‘Within the second half we believed’
United have been on the backfoot from the primary minute in Leigh as PSG’s physicality and depth took the hosts abruptly.
However Skinner’s facet tailored within the second half and commenced to dominate – substitutes Geyse and Melvine Malard having a very spectacular affect off the bench.
“I felt there was a bit little bit of trepidation within the first half, however within the second half we felt we believed,” added Skinner.
“We have been adapting and evolving to defend in opposition to a brand new system. We needed to pay respect. Within the second half, after we knew how they’d play, we unleashed the gamers to do the enterprise.
“They have been very bodily. The fact is the primary half is the quickest we have performed in opposition to when it comes to depth – much more so than in opposition to Arsenal on Friday. It took our gamers [time] to see it and really feel it. We stayed within the sport.”
Brazilian ahead Geyse, who gained the Champions League with Barcelona final season, got here on for United within the second half and created quite a few possibilities, earlier than on-loan Lyon ahead Malard’s header made it 1-1.
They’re among the many summer time signings with beneficial Champions League expertise in United’s squad, including to earlier winner Nikita Parris throughout her time at Lyon.
Skinner is due to this fact assured United can get a lead to Paris and doesn’t suppose it might be a shock in the event that they did regardless of their opponents having reached the ultimate twice.
“[It would not be a shock] for us. For others, it could be. I wish to make clear that we go into each sport pondering we are able to win,” mentioned Skinner.
“In case you do not, there is no level leaping on the aircraft. We have to be as bodily as we have been tonight. We have to match that and play our soccer. If we try this, I believe we’ll have an excellent probability.”
